Plans for a battery energy storage system to be built on fields at Moston have been recommended for approval.

Cheshire East's planning officer believes councillors should give the scheme the green light arguing, even though it is in the open countryside 'the benefits of energy storage outweigh the limited harm to the character and appearance of the local landscape character'.

Moston Parish Council has objected to the proposal, earmarked for the two hectare in site to the north of Dragons Lane, saying it will require extensive infrastructure and could have a significant effect on the nearby site of special scientific interest, Sandbach Flashes, as well as create highways issues.

The application, from Hydrock, is for the construction of a 12 MW battery storage facility with boundary fencing and access track from Dragons Lane.

The council's planning officer says it would be part of a public infrastructure development for the storage of energy so is acceptable in pure land use terms.

"The facility would be charged from the grid from a mixture of renewable energy sources – predominantly solar and wind – and non-renewable sources," states the officer in her report to next week's meeting of the southern planning committee.

"Currently, when energy is produced from wind or solar, that is not required by the grid, it is wasted. This facility would allow that energy to be stored and released when demand is high and thus has significant energy and environmental benefits."

She added: "Clearly because of the nature of the development, it would have a utilitarian appearance. The batteries would be housed within storage containers similar to shipping containers and there would be other buildings ancillary to the functions of the facility.

"The facility would be surrounded by a 3.4m palisade security fence, which would have a very industrial appearance. However, there are existing hedgerows and trees and additional hedgerow and tree planting would be undertaken, which, it is considered would provide adequate screening for the site."

The officer said the highway safety and parking implications are considered to be acceptable and that nature conservation issues can be satisfactorily mitigated by conditions.

She said the impact on residential amenity is acceptable and has recommended the scheme be approved.

The application will be considered at next Wednesday's (November 30th) meeting of the southern planning committee which takes place at 10am at Crewe Municipal Buildings.