Residents in Wrexham have expressed frustration with their local council after planning inspectors from the Welsh government approved a major battery energy storage facility on appeal, despite the authority's planning committee voting to oppose the scheme.
Developers Innova secured permission to construct a 400MW facility near Rhostyllen village, a project the company claims could supply electricity to approximately 900,000 homes. According to local coverage of the appeal decision, the approval came on 14 August 2026.
Campaigners have accused Wrexham council officers of failing to mount an effective defence of their interests during the inspectorate hearing. The scheme covers 5.5 hectares and would use 118 large battery units, with power routed via the Legacy substation less than 2.5km away, according to project details released during the approval process.
The appeal process began after Wrexham Council missed its determination deadline on the application, sending the case to Welsh planning inspectors. The local planning committee had until 19 March 2026 to submit its statement of opposition to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales after the case went to appeal.
Battery energy storage sites are considered essential infrastructure for reducing carbon emissions by capturing energy generated from renewable sources and releasing it to the electricity grid during periods of high demand.
What were the community's concerns?
Local campaigners raised multiple objections to the development, focusing on potential impacts to agricultural land, biodiversity, the area's visual character and fire safety risks. Earlier public-facing materials show the project was initially presented as a much larger 1,025MW proposal before being reduced to 400MW following community engagement.
Alan Jones, chairman of Esclusham Community Group, which led the campaign against the development, expressed disappointment with the council's representation.
We were told by Wrexham planning department that they would represent us vocally and with evidence,he said.
We feel they didn't represent us at all. Because we weren't represented, we have no case to take this to appeal so we're really disappointed.
Mark Andrew, a member of the local community council, stated that the outcome had
angered so many peoplein the area. He explained that the community had
hoped the local planning department would put a good argument in placeand noted that
the inspector said that no evidence was given against the case for the battery farm.
How did the council respond to the criticism?
Wrexham council maintained that it had presented the strongest possible case at the hearing. A spokesperson stated that a senior officer attended the inspectorate hearing and the authority had
presented as robust a case as it could explaining the reasons for the planning committee's decision.
The council acknowledged the community's disappointment, saying it was
understandablegiven the outcome. However, the authority now faces financial consequences: it was awaiting an invoice from the developers for legal costs after the inspector
concluded the council had acted unreasonably.
This situation reflects broader tensions between local communities and developers over major energy infrastructure projects. Similar disputes have emerged elsewhere in Wales and Scotland, where residents have raised concerns about renewable energy and storage facilities. Rural communities near Rothienorman have opposed a proposed 500MW battery storage plant citing fire safety and landscape concerns, while villagers opposing development near Llantwit Major have appealed to the Welsh government over similar planning matters.
What happens next?
Innova stated it was pleased the appeal had been allowed and would
provide further updates to the local community as the project progresses towards construction.According to reporting on 24 September 2026, village residents continued to express disappointment following the appeal result.
The council faces the dual challenge of paying the developers' legal costs while managing community relations in the area. The approval marks a significant moment in Wales's renewable energy infrastructure development, though it has left local residents feeling their concerns were not adequately heard in the decision-making process.
