Elgin Energy is seeking to develop a battery storage system on land next to Penrose Water Gardens, in Tregavethan, Cornwall.

But residents fear that plans for up to 80 containers on a field currently used for grazing deer will be a fire hazard, visibly impact the location and create noise pollution.

Currently at the public consultation stage, if a planning application is approved the site would accommodate approximately 100 megawatts (MW) of standalone battery storage - with a project lifetime of 50 years.

The company said the proposed project will allow the storage and release of energy for the entire grid, contributing to local and national energy targets with additional benefits.

However locals are not sure about its benefits - adding they are concerned it will affect the local wildlife pose fire and flood risks.

Some have said they have not received a formal written notification and have only heard about it online or through their neighbours.

Steve Greener, 73, who runs Penrose Water Gardens, says it is proposed to be in a "wrong site" - adding that it will "spoil" the natural beauty of the gardens.

He explained: "It is not a site that I would think it is the correct place - can be quite dangerous if it catches fire.

"My concern is if something went wrong there are lots of children that could get hurt.

"I'm looking at it from the nature of it and health and safety of those who visit the water gardens.

"I'm not against renewable energy at all - I just feel it's the wrong site for what they wish to put there."

He is afraid that the battery plant will stop visitors from going to the water gardens.

Mr Greener added: "We have a lot of visitors there from all over the country. It can be noisy and we have a water garden with all sort of nature - with baby ducks, herons and lots of wildlife.

"It's not in a correct location in my opinion where you have a place of nature and a lot of visitors.

"We will see quite a reduction in visitors. I have a lot of people contacting about it from all over the country. It's quite a unique place that doesn't charge no entry fee."

Mr Greener said how he was not notified about the project - having heard about it for the first time from a neighbour who got a letter sent to his door.

He said: "He had a letter sent to him back in November 2024 and I didn't have a letter sent to me which I complained to the company about it.

"Several people around the area were also not notified. It seemed that one or two people got a letter and not everybody.

"They did a very short notice consultation where they were not very informative and most of the questions could not be answered. To this day I still haven't got a letter."

Equally concerned about nature and wildlife is Joe Taylor, 49, who is running for councilor in this ward.

He explained what residents want is for the company to explain what the mitigations are.

Mr Taylor said: "They haven't told anyone what the mitigations are. They are putting it in a residential area and a nature reserve - there's deer that graze in the field, they would have to be moved.

"If one of the batteries catches fire there is no real way of getting fire engines down there, it's quite a remote site. You can't just run fire engines down there. You need a proper response from the fire service.

"Spelling out toxic fuels with heavy metals you could be dealing with a major industrial fire in the middle of a nature reserve."

Mr Taylor added that these are "legitimate concerns" that people have about public safety but said the company is "not being transparent" about the risks associated with the project.

He said: "It's not that people are against it - we just want them to tell us what the mitigations are.

"What we are asking is the company to meet us in person.

"We want them to listen to the concerns of those who live next to where the plant is going to be built."

Elgin Energy's website about what it is calling Great Roseveth BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) states that it would include 80 battery storage containers (BSC) and 40 power control system (PCS) containers, comprising transformers, inverters and monitoring systems.

But, a downloadable pamphlet about the plant states there will be "up to 60 BSC and 30 PCS".

Elgin Energy says any noise from the project will be complaint with the noise limits set by Cornwall City Council.

Each battery container and inverter station will contain a small fan that is similar to a domestic bathroom fan in both size and rating.

The company also said that no greenhouse gas emissions will be emitted by the development and there won't be a significant increase in the risk of flooding.

An Agricultural Land Classification has been performed and the site has been classified as Grade 4 and grade 3b land and is therefore not within the best and most versatile classification for agriculture, according to the company.

Elgin states benefits include "smoothing out the delivery of variable or intermittent resources such as wind and solar, by storing excess energy when these renewable sources produce excess energy and delivering it when they are not" as well as the project being a "key enabler" of net zero.

The company is carrying out a number of assessments before submitting a planning application.

These reports include ecology, archaeology and cultural heritage, construction access and traffic and flood risk. In addition, a landscape and visual impact assessment is being undertaken to identify any impacts on nearby viewpoints.

It added that existing field boundaries, trees, and hedgerows will be retained.

The project website added: "The provision of bird boxes, insect hotels, and wildflower meadows provide significant opportunities for biodiversity enhancements."

Cornwall Council said it wouldn't comment on a planning application that is undecided.