Battery storage planning approval rates by council

What is the average battery storage scheme approval rate in the UK?

Across 301 UK planning authorities, 92% of decided battery storage schemes applications were approved — 1,603 granted against 141 refused, from 1,744 decisions in total. That is computed from recorded outcomes in the government Renewable Energy Planning Database, not estimated. 81,715 MW has been consented, with 693 applications still awaiting a decision.

How long does battery storage scheme planning permission take?

The median UK authority decides a battery storage scheme application in 6 months, measured from the submission date to the decision date recorded in REPD. The spread is wide: the fastest authorities here decide in around 1.5 months, while the slowest take 17.4 months or more. Speed and approval rate are largely independent — a permissive council is not necessarily a fast one.

Which councils approve the most battery storage schemes?

By volume, Scottish Government (S36), Highland, Wiltshire have decided the most. By approval rate among authorities with a meaningful caseload, North Yorkshire (100%), Somerset (100%), The Planning Inspectorate - National Infrastructure (100%) lead. Every authority with 5 or more decisions is listed below with its own page.

What does this data not tell me?

REPD records outcomes but not refusal REASONS, so nothing here explains why a scheme failed — landscape and cumulative impact, the most common real drivers of refusal, are professional judgements that appear in no open dataset. It covers schemes of roughly 150 kW and above, is published quarterly, and small caseloads make percentages volatile. Use it to compare authorities and set expectations, not to predict an individual decision.

All 137 authorities with 5+ battery storage decisions

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