Dear residents,

Thank you to those who came to the meeting last night or have contacted us directly about this application. 

We can confirm that we have objected to the application. Our response can be seen at the bottom of this article.

We have heard from ESC that this consultation has been extended to 2nd March and comments are welcome until that point. The planning officer cannot confirm yet whether or not this application will be decided by the Planning Committee: 

At this stage, we cannot confirm whether this application would be determined at Planning Committee because we have to follow our protocol and it is too early in the process to know what the recommendation will be.

Whilst we cannot guarantee, we would anticipate that it would be a Committee Decision particularly if the recommendation is for approval. However, if the recommendation is for refusal, it may be possible to issue under Delegated Powers.

The formal consultation process expires on 2^nd March 2026. Any correspondence received after this date does not have to be taken into account and/or the application could lawfully be determined after that date so later representations would be at risk of not being considered.

The Surface Water technical report prepared for Balance Power which was referred to in the meeting can be viewed here. 

Hacheston Parish Council's response submitted on 19th February: 

Following consideration of the above application, Councillors reviewed the comments made by residents at the meeting together with the written representations submitted to East Suffolk Council. We note the significant interest in this application from our residents; we had over 30 people attend our planning meeting last night who raised a number of concerns about the application. 

By majority decision, Councillors resolved to object to the application on the following grounds:

• The cumulative impact in combination with other nearby energy infrastructure

• The visual impact on the rural landscape

• Noise concerns

• Fire risk and associated public safety concerns

• The impact on the setting of a heritage asset, noting that the nearest property is Grade II listed

In the event that the application is approved, Councillors would ask that East Suffolk Council gives consideration to the following conditions please :

Highways and Access
That the site entrance and visibility splay are widened to improve the turning arc and enable articulated lorries to enter the site safely, without the need to encroach onto the opposing carriageway or into Garnetts Gardens car park.

Site Height and Layout
That the applicant reviews the overall height of the development so that containers are no higher than the existing BESS containers on the adjacent site, in order to reduce visual and noise impacts.

Community Benefit and Flooding
Councillors note that no community benefit proposals were presented prior to the meeting. Members consider that the most appropriate and beneficial contribution would be measures to alleviate flooding within the village.

We would like the developer to enter into an agreement with Suffolk County Council, in its role as the Lead Local Flood Authority, to make a financial contribution towards the maintenance and improvement of the drainage system along The Street. The Section 19 Flood Investigation Report identified recommended improvements to this drainage network which have yet to be implemented. Flooding of nearby properties during Storm Babet resulted from surface water runoff from surrounding  fields and insufficient drainage capacity, rather than fluvial flooding. Residents would welcome clear reassurance that drainage from the proposed development will not exacerbate existing issues, and that wider drainage improvements could help reduce risk while demonstrating meaningful community engagement by the developer.

Maintenance Responsibilities
That the developer commits to the ongoing maintenance of ditches, hedgerows and landscaping within the site for the lifetime of the development.

Landscaping and Biodiversity
Councillors welcome the projected biodiversity net gain figures, which are projected to be significantly above the existing baseline. However, we would ask that there is additional environmental screening on all sides of the site to further mitigate visual impact please. 

Noise Limits
That planning conditions require background noise levels at the nearest residential properties to remain at or below existing baseline levels, with automatic shutdown procedures in place should those limits be exceeded.