Controversial plans for a 181-unit battery energy storage system have been withdrawn after 2,655 objections.

Under the proposal, undeveloped green belt land between Elstree Substation, near Bhaktivedanta Manor, would have been filled with the battery storage containers as well as 58 inverter units.

This was cut from 400 and 101 respectively during the planning process, but despite the reduction Hertsmere Borough Council planning officers recommended that permission should be refused ahead of a planning committee meeting at 7pm today (Thursday, November 14).

(Image: Google Maps/Canva) An update sheet dated to this morning has now been added to the meeting agenda. It states: “This application has been withdrawn and will no longer be considered at the planning committee.”

The report providing the recommendation gave green belt concerns as the sole planning reason for refusal, finding that the scheme’s benefits did not outweigh the “substantial harm” to its openness and impact on the area’s visual character and heritage assets.

According to proposal documents: “Battery energy storage systems are devices that enable energy, including from sources such as solar and wind, to be stored and then released when the power is needed most.”

This helps renewable sources of energy keep powering homes “even when the sun isn’t shining, or the wind has stopped blowing”.