Why Removing the BESS Weakens the Case for “Very Special Circumstances” The applicant is proposing significant harm: Permanent industrialisation of Green Belt. Loss of high-grade farmland. Visual, noise and biodiversity harm. National policy allows this kind of “inappropriate” development only if the public benefit clearly outweighs these harms. Without a BESS: The power output is reduced in value , even if the volume remains the same. Electricity is generated at times when it may not be needed and cannot be shifted to peak hours. Grid operators already curtail solar output at times of low demand (so-called “constraint payments”), meaning some of this energy may effectively be wasted.
In short: Without a BESS, this solar farm’s contribution to energy security is lower — while the harms remain the same. This tips the planning balance further against approval. 8