Kingswinford and South Staffordshire MP Mike Wood has urged the Government to act on residents’ concerns about the rapid growth of battery energy storage sites across the constituency.
Speaking in Parliament, Mike highlighted that communities in villages such as Kinver, Swindon, Hinksford, Wombourne, Lower Penn and Kingswinford are facing a “constant stream” of applications, often without proper consideration of safety, environmental and planning issues.
“At least seven battery sites have been either approved or proposed in or close to Lower Penn alone - a village of under 1,000 people,” Mike said. “The same is happening in villages across South Staffordshire. Applications are coming through at such a rate that it feels overwhelming for residents.”
Mike pointed out that while battery failures are rare, the consequences can be devastating. He referenced recent fires at sites in Tilbury, Cirencester and Aberdeenshire, and compared the scale of new projects with everyday technology:
“A mobile phone battery may have a capacity of 15 to 18 watt hours, and an electric vehicle battery around 80 to 100 kWh. But the site at Tilbury, when completed, will have a capacity equivalent to 33 million iPhone batteries. We have to take that scale seriously.”
He warned that the UK is at a tipping point, with 121 operational sites already in use and more than 1,500 in the pipeline nationwide — but planning and regulatory systems have not kept up with the rapid expansion.
Mike stressed that the risks are not only about safety for local people and firefighters, but also the potential long-term damage to South Staffordshire’s natural environment.
“Residents need confidence that their concerns are understood and acted upon. The Government must ensure the planning system and safety regulations are modernised to reflect these new realities.”
Mike has pledged to continue pressing Ministers and local authorities to put stronger safeguards in place and to make sure local voices are heard in decisions affecting villages and communities across South Staffordshire.
