Unit 5 XL Business Park (49.9 MW battery storage)
Unit 5 XL Business Park is a 49.9 MW battery storage project in West Lancashire, England. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: under construction since 1 July 2021; the record was last updated on 30 June 2020.
49.9 MWbattery storage
under constructionstatus in REPD
30 June 2020record last updated
West Lancashirecouncil area
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 13 September 2017 | Application submitted |
| 18 December 2017 | Planning permission granted |
| 1 July 2021 | Construction started |
Project details
- Technology
- battery storage (stand-alone storage)
- Capacity
- 49.9 MW
- Status (REPD)
- under construction
- Record last updated
- 30 June 2020
- Operator or applicant
- Amber Infrastructure Group
- Planning authority
- West Lancashire
- Planning application reference
- 2017/0968/FUL
- Address (REPD)
- Unit 5, X L Business Park, Statham Road, Skelmersdale, Lancashire
- Council area (by location)
- West Lancashire
- Time to decision
- 14 weeks
- REPD reference
- 7985
Who decides
| Applications | West Lancashire | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Decided applications (solar, wind, battery) | 24 | 10,236 |
| Refused | 6 (25%) | 19% |
| Solar refused | 5 of 16 | 12% |
| Onshore wind refused | 1 of 3 | 45% |
| Battery storage refused | 0 of 5 | 16% |
| Median time from submission to decision | 11.4 weeks | 17.0 weeks |
| Appeals lodged / allowed | 4 / 0 | — |
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avondale Nurseries, Spa Lane | battery storage | 320 | approved, not built | 1.4 |
| Pikelaw Place | battery storage | 10 | permission expired | 4.1 |
| Wanes Blades Road Solar Farm | solar farm | 16 | refused | 4.2 |
| Ringtail Airfield | solar farm | 5 | application withdrawn | 5.3 |
| Tontine Road | battery storage | 70 | application submitted | 6.4 |
| Far Moor | battery storage | 50 | application submitted | 7.0 |
| Gerard Hall Solar Farm | solar farm | 17 | refused on appeal | 7.9 |
| Fromby Lane Solar Farm | solar farm | 5 | appeal withdrawn | 8.7 |
| Back Lane Solar Farm | solar farm | 5 | appeal withdrawn | 8.9 |
Status and dates as recorded in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract); the database is compiled from public sources and can lag behind council decisions. Location: REPD grid reference (53.5622, -2.8069).