Fire, fizzing and buzzing at the site, followed by explosions.... our fight goes on!
Back in August, 2023 residents were very heartened when Frome Town Council unanimously rejected Trina Solar's application to build the BESS site at Styles Close, citing risk to public safety due to the close proximity to homes, loss of amenity, fire risk, lack of adherence to the National Fire Chiefs Council fire safety guidance, inadequate fire safety management plan and noise levels.
We still await Somerset Council Planning's decision/meeting date. It's not too late to post your comments on the planning portal, so please do so. Every voice counts. https://publicaccess.mendip.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=RW6YK7KPFQB00
The Diocese of Bath and Wells who own the land is described by Trina Solar as a 'willing landlord' who has made an agreement with them that the plans can go ahead if it passes planning.
Then on Wednesday 18th October, it seemed like all hell had broken loose on the site. A resident had spotted smouldering on the timber pole that supports the 40,000 volt overhead cables, as a result of a short that caused arcing. The pole caught fire. SSE told residents to call the fire brigade but when they arrived they could do nothing other than monitor the fire re the overhead cables posing danger - and asked the residents why they had called them! Meanwhile Frome had spotted a big orange glow and understandably wondered what was going on!
"The rain had caused electricity to arc and spark the fire which soon took hold and intensified. The fire quickly spread up the pole and there were 3 explosions. The fire brigade were concerned that the fire would burn through the pole causing it to topple and bring down the live overhead cables. For that reason, no-one was allowed in the field and the fire was left to die down. Fortunately, it continued to rain which must have helped to douse the fire, if the rain had stopped it may well have continued to burn. There are 8 of these poles in the field and this could have happened to any one of them. They all carry overhead cables over the proposed BESS development. This incident occurred in the early evening which means it was quickly noticed, what if it happened during the night and a pole did fall? This was a frightening occurrence for people to experience just yards from their houses. The fire alone was bad enough, the thought of what could have happened if the BESS was there is something we do not want to contemplate. All the safety plans for the BESS cannot protect it from external events such as this. Another reason why this site is wholly inappropriate for the BESS. The residents of Styles Close have been concerned for their safety and peace of mind since the plans were announced; these concerns have been escalated by the stress we experienced on Wednesday evening".