Councillors have refused plans for a 99MW battery energy storage site at a Staffordshire farm.

Root Power said the proposed facility at New House Farm, at Bagnall in the Staffordshire Moorlands, would have supported the transition to renewable energy.

But nearly 150 people objected to the application, with concerns being raised over fire risk, noise and the impact on the Green Belt.

Members of the planning applications committee at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council voted unanimously to refuse permission, in line with their officers' recommendation.

The applicant had called for the item to be deferred, saying various 'technical issues' could be resolved if given more time. But committee members said they did not believe the problems with the plans could be overcome.

Sharon Plant, who was among the residents who objected to the application, told the committee she had major concerns over the risk of fire at the BESS.

She said: "The site does not provide safe access for the fire service in the event of an incident.

"The fire report comments that no proposal for explosion protection has been provided by the applicant, causing a great deal of concern for residents.

"The residence of Little Armshead Farm is approximately 80 metres from the site and they only have one access route to their property.

"If compromised this could mean they are trapped. The danger to life is great both for residents and the emergency services."

The proposed development would include 24 battery clusters, 12 transformers, a substation and various other structures, and it would be connected to the nearby Cellarhead substation.

Root Power argued that 'very special circumstances' exist to justify development in the Green Belt saying battery storage sites have to be located close to suitable grid connections.

But planning officers said the proposed site layout would fail to provide 'safe and convenient' access to the fire service with a single track connecting the development with Luzlow Lane.

They also raised concerns over the noise impact on residents, biodiversity net gain, and the fact the site lies within a minerals safeguarding area for silica sand.

Louise Leyland, speaking on behalf of the applicant, said Root Power had been in the process of addressing these objections, and asked for the item to be deferred to allow more time. She also claimed the fire safety concerns were 'unfounded'.

Ms Leyland said: "There are numerous examples including battery schemes approved on appeal which have allowed single access routes from the highway which then split within the site to provide access to all points of the development.

"Our view and that of our fire safety consultant is this reason for refusal will not be defensible at appeal.

"Landscape impacts are an inevitability of moving towards a low carbon society where good connections to this type of development are scarce and often in the countryside.

"However, our view is that these impacts are not significant and they will be outweighed by the benefits of the proposed development, which should be awarded substantial weight in the planning balance."

But committee members agreed with their officers' recommendation and voted for refusal.

Cllr Keith Flunder was particularly concerned over the development being so close to the Wetley Moor site of special scientific interest (SSSI).

He said: "This is just in the wrong place, and I don't agree that these issues can be overcome. Facts are facts.

"This is right next to something, the SSSI, that can't be moved but the battery storage can be moved."