VILLAGERS are up in arms over proposals to build a backup electricity plant in rural landscape.

The plans, submitted to Wiltshire Council by Enso Energy, are for a two-acre plant that will use commercial scale batteries to store electricity and support the national grid, at land on Court Farm, in the Woodford Valley.

But residents of Lower and Middle Woodford say the plant will spoil the area’s landscape and create traffic problems at the proposed site entrance, via Church Bottom Road.

Eleven letters of representation have been submitted to Wiltshire Council over the plans - all of which oppose them.

Neil Cosburn, of Church Lane in Middle Woodford, said the proposal was “totally inappropriate” for the area.

He said: “In principle I am supportive of the roll out of this kind of facility which improve the efficiency of the electrical network and reduce carbon emissions, but they must be located where access can be more easily obtained by commercial vehicles and efforts made to reduce the impact on visual amenity.”

And Hugh Keatinge, of Lake, said the application was “not sustainable”, adding: “I appreciate electricity storage facilities are needed, but do they really have to be placed on top of a hill served by a farm track and a completely inadequate road system?”

Richard Soar, chairman of Woodford parish council, confirmed it would be objecting to the plans.

Enso Energy was approached for comment.

Plans can be viewed on the Wiltshire Council website using planning reference 18/00457/FUL.