In 2024, Clearstone Energy advanced plans for a massive 400MW/800MWh* lithium-ion battery storage facility in Bramford.
*The application indicated a 400MW facility with a 2 hour supply, so 800MWh. However, the applicant also refused to state what battery they will use. Worryingly, Planning Officers accepted this but also failed to indicate the approved size on the Decision Notice. So these numbers may change at a later date and at a point in the process where the public are excluded from consultation.
While we couldn’t cover the initial application (Application Ref: DC/24/05090) or file a formal objection, we collaborated closely with Burstall Parish Council to refine critical safety concerns in their submissions.
You can review all documents—including the council’s objections—on the [Mid Suffolk Planning Portal](https://planning.baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk/online-applications/simpleSearchResults.do?action=firstPage).
But today, we’re sharing something that a member of CARE Suffolk was able to do: a video created and sent directly to Planning Committee members, visualizing the real-world risks of this project.
Why This Matters
The video depicts a plausible worst-case scenario. The probability may be low, but it is far from impossible. It exposes serious flaws in the site’s safety and access design – flaws that both Burstall and Bramford Parish Councils raised – drawing on documented incidents from similar facilities globally.
These aren’t hypotheticals. They’re lessons ignored.
Developers (and some planning officers) may dismiss concerns as make-believe, but the evidence paints a different picture.
Watch the Eye-Opening Video Here:
We have explicit permission to share this publicly. See it. Share it. Question why safety isn’t the priority.
I am glad that someone is showing what might happen if there is a fire. Not only Bramford would be affected but all north west Ipswich with the prevailing winds. And the streams feed into the River Orwell.