A planning application could see a large green belt field transformed into a 405-battery energy project.

The site, between Elstree Substation, near Bushey, and the Bhaktivedanta Manor, near Letchmore Heath, is currently undeveloped green belt land.

However, under the proposal added to the Hertsmere Borough Council planning portal earlier this month, it would be host to a battery energy storage system (BESS).

According to the planning statement: “BESS 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”.

Although the plan is an outline application only, and therefore does not include details of landscape, layout, and scale, an “illustrative layout” suggests it would take up the majority of the field, with the top of the site and pan-handle to Hilfield Lane hosting a road to the system.

Watford Observer: Illustrative layout drawing attached to the plan.Illustrative layout drawing attached to the plan. (Image: Hertsmere Borough Council planning portal/M2 Planning)

The system itself would then be open-air, with road surrounding blocks of batteries and woodland planted to limit the visual impact.

As an outline application, the reserved details would have to be approved via a separate application before any work could go ahead.

The group Save Hertsmere has encouraged people to object to the plan and 81 objections have been submitted.