What look like standard shipping containers placed on green land in South Marston will actually be huge batteries intended to prevent power cuts, if a new proposal receives approval.

Conrad Energy Developments Ltd has put in an application to install batteries on a triangle of land just to the south of Kingsdown Lane, between Fitzwarren Nursing Home and  Kingsdown Crematorium.

The plan is to have 12 huge batteries and associated equipment, including a control room and a welfare cabin for staff in containers on the site. The batteries will be connected to the power distribution network

The application says the batteries will be able to help prevent power cuts when the main electricity network fails: “The primary function of the proposed development is to provide standby electricity storage capacity into the local distributive network at peak times to avoid fluctuations and blackouts and can aid in avoiding transmission losses when electricity is transmitted over long distances.

“Transmission losses can be up to 14 per cent. Times of generation will match times of peak demand within the local network and generation can be controlled remotely.”

The layout shows an area of hard-standing on the land just south of Kingsdown Lane, with parking and 18 containers in three rows of six and the workers’ cabin.

The power company’s application says: “The battery containers are similar in appearance to ubiquitous profiled steel shipping containers.

“The access track will comprise a hardcore surface. The access into the compound and dedicated parking will have a tarmac surface layer with the remainder of the area around the generating equipment and ancillary infrastructure being hard standing.

“The containers will have the appearance of a standard shipping container in keeping with many yard and open storage areas in the other local industrial and commercial developments in the open countryside and of course the neighbouring substation distribution site.”

A previous proposal to install battery storage on the site was made, and approved in 2017.  Conrad Energy has repeated the commitment made then that it will pay £3,000 a year, adjustable for inflation, to Stratton St Margaret Parish Council for the length of the installation.

Comments on the plan can be made on swindon.gov.uk using the reference S/22/1051 and should be submitted by August 9.