Leaders at a North Yorkshire school say allowing a battery energy storage system (BESS) to be built metres from a playground would be a “planning failure”.

Governors from Scotton Lingerfield Primary School, in Scotton, near Knaresborough, have lodged a formal objection to plans for the BESS which is proposed for fields near the village.

Harmony SC Ltd has filed a planning application for a 200MW BESS on 5.68 hectares of agricultural land off Low Moor Lane, Scotton.

Governors from the school said in a statement: “Our first and most sacred duty is the safeguarding of the children in our care.

placeholder image — Scotton Lingerfield Primary School.

“While we recognise the national importance of energy storage, it should not come at the expense of our children’s safety.

“A BESS is an industrial utility; placing it mere meters from a primary school playground is, in our view, a fundamental planning failure.

“We urge the local planning authority to prioritise the protection of our young learners and reject this application.”

Plans for the BESS have also been criticised by the Kids at Heart Day Nursery, which provides care for babies and young children from the age of three months, and is around 60 metres from the BESS site.

The owners of the nursery say documents submitted to North Yorkshire Council by the developer reveal that in the event of a fire, noxious gases including hydrogen fluoride could be released.

The owners said in a statement: “We understand the importance of renewable energy and support investment in cleaner technologies.

“However, we do have concerns about the proposed location of this development should a fire ever occur, given its close proximity to both a nursery and school.

“We believe any project of this nature should be subject to the very highest safety and environmental standards, and we are asking North Yorkshire Council to carefully consider the potential impact on children, families and the wider community before any decision is made.”

The BESS would be accompanied by a 49.9MW solar farm which is planned for 91 hectares of farmland between Scotton and Brearton.

The concerns about the BESS have been highlighted by the Stop Scotton Solar Farm and BESS group, which is campaigning against the proposed energy developments.

In response to the criticism, Gemma Grimes, director of policy and delivery at Solar Energy UK, which represents solar companies, said: “Battery storage is essential to delivering the clean, affordable and secure power Britain needs.

“Batteries capture surplus cheap solar and wind energy and release it back to the grid when demand is highest, reducing our reliance on expensive imported gas and building a more independent energy system.

“Safety is built into these projects from the ground up. The global failure rate for grid-scale battery storage fell by 97.1 per cent between 2018 and 2023.

“We firmly agree that robust guidance is essential and we welcome the guidance set out on grid-scale battery storage by the National Fire Chiefs Council.”