FURTHER micro energy storage facility ‘battery box’ schemes in Pembrokeshire have been considered by county planners, with one backed and one withdrawn by the applicants.

In two separate applications to Pembrokeshire County Council, AMP Clean Energy sought permission for micro energy storage projects on land at Waterloo Industrial Estate, Eastern Avenue, Pembroke Dock, and land between Steynton Road and Sheffield Drive, Milford Haven.

A supporting statement accompanying each application says: “AMP Clean Energy is developing Battery Boxes across the UK to provide a low carbon, flexible and de-centralised store of electricity that benefits local communities, businesses, and homes.”

It says the battery boxes import electricity from the local electricity network when demand for electricity is low or when there are high levels of renewable energy available, exporting it back during periods of high demand to help address grid reliability issues prompted by an increase of intermittent (wind and solar) generation.

AMP Clean Energy says it is developing up to 1,250-plus Battery Boxes in the UK over the next three years and, to date, has received planning consent for more than 80 such schemes.

It says each box, which takes up roughly two car parking spaces, stores 800kWh of electricity, giving the potential to power 200 homes for four hours where there is a supply disruption.

The battery box schemes are part of a raft of applications in the county.

AMP was previously granted approval for schemes on land between King Street and Meyrick Street, Pembroke Dock and land in between Castle Quarry and Haven Court, Pembroke.

AMP Clean Energy was also recently granted permission for micro energy storage projects at on a verge at the Bridge Innovation Centre, Pembroke Dock, and land to the south of Withybush Road, Withybush Industrial Estate, Haverfordwest.

However, a scheme for a micro energy storage project on land at Fishguard Leisure Centre Car Park, near Ysgol Bro Gwaun was refused by the council’s planning committee late last year.

That scheme was refused, against an officer recommendation of approval, after concerns were raised including being in “an unsafe, unsustainable and unnecessary location,” and the “nightmare scenario” of a fire as children were leaving the school, with was disputed by AMP’s agent.

The latest Pembroke Dock application was conditionally approved but the Milford Haven scheme has been withdrawn.

Watchdog says urgent joint action is needed — with only two of 61 habitats classed as favourable nationwide

NATURAL RESOURCES WALES has issued a stark warning about the state of the nation’s wildlife and landscapes after publishing the first full Wales-wide assessment of the conservation status of key habitats and species.

The report, released under embargo at 12:01am on Thursday (Jan 22), brings together evidence on habitats and non-bird species of international importance, alongside assessments for all birds in Wales. NRW said it provides the clearest national picture yet of how species and habitats are faring, the pressures driving decline, and what measures are most likely to support recovery.

The findings are intended to act as a baseline for efforts to halt biodiversity loss and will feed into Wales’ next State of Natural Resources Report (SoNaRR), which NRW said is due to be published on Thursday (Jan 29).

The assessment makes sobering reading.

Of the 61 habitats assessed, only two were found to be in favourable condition across Wales as a whole. Nearly 80% were classed as “unfavourable-bad”, underlining what NRW described as the scale of the challenge facing nature recovery in Wales.

Among 53 non-bird species, just 14 were assessed as being in favourable condition, while 16 were found to be in serious decline. NRW said these include Atlantic salmon, which has suffered steep falls in numbers in recent years.

For marine species — excluding seabirds — the report found only four were in favourable condition, while the conservation status of others remains poorly understood due to gaps in evidence.

The report also highlights steep declines in 16 species, including the Marsh fritillary butterfly and rare plants such as the fen orchid. But NRW said the overall picture is not entirely bleak, pointing to some bird species that have increased significantly in Wales over the past two decades, including the Atlantic puffin.

NRW said pressures vary between habitats and species, but the main drivers of decline include agriculture, climate change, pollution and urban development. It also highlights disease impacts on birds and water-related pressures affecting fish — factors which can combine and compound one another.

The assessment draws on evidence from long-running monitoring programmes, independent research and citizen science. It examines range, population trends, habitat condition and long-term prospects, alongside the pressures continuing to drive losses.

NRW said the complexity of the threats means solutions must be joined-up, long-term and delivered collectively — not as isolated projects — but argued that nature can recover where action is targeted and sustained.

It pointed to partnership work already underway, including peatland restoration and carbon protection, and programmes aimed at reversing bird declines, including the Wales Curlew Action Plan and the Welsh Seabird Conservation Strategy.

NRW also said several species have been successfully restored through reintroduction programmes and habitat management, including fen orchid, shore dock, natterjack toad and sand lizard. Work is also underway on freshwater pearl mussel recovery.

Other initiatives highlighted include the £26.6m Welsh Government-funded Nature Networks programme, aimed at improving and connecting habitats across Wales, and the Natur am Byth species recovery programme, described as a major partnership effort focused on preventing extinctions while engaging communities.

Mary Lewis, Head of Natural Resource Management Policy at NRW, said the report offers both a warning and a roadmap.

“This report paints a sobering picture of nature in Wales,” she said. “The scale of decline is concerning, but we cannot afford to see it as inevitable.

“What this assessment gives us is clarity: clarity on where nature is under the greatest pressure, and clarity on what needs to be done. It provides the evidence base we need to target our work, and to help others target theirs.”

She added that NRW is already working with a wide range of partners — including farmers, land managers, local authorities, communities, organisations and government — to restore habitats, improve river health, and support nature-friendly farming through the Sustainable Farming Scheme.

Lewis said the report will also help guide priorities linked to Wales’ commitment to protect and effectively manage 30% of land and sea by 2030.

“This baseline, taken together with the evidence highlighted in our SoNaRR report will guide our future priorities, and ensure that Wales’ response to the nature and climate emergencies is grounded in robust evidence,” she said.

“By acting together now, we can secure a nature-rich, climate-resilient Wales that supports the wellbeing of current and future generations.”

NRW said the data and learning from the assessment is already being used to shape its forthcoming State of Natural Resources Report, due to be launched next week on Thursday (Jan 29).

Critics say that questions over delivery remain

THE UK GOVERNMENT has unveiled a £15bn Warm Homes Plan, which ministers say will help upgrade millions of properties with measures such as insulation, solar panels, home batteries and heat pumps, cutting energy costs and tackling fuel poverty.

Downing Street claims the programme could lift up to one million households out of fuel poverty by 2030, describing it as the largest public investment in home upgrades in British history. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “A warm home shouldn’t be a privilege, it should be a basic guarantee,” while Energy Secretary Ed Miliband called it a “national project” to improve affordability and energy security.

What is being offered

Government statements set out three main strands:

Support for low-income households
Ministers say targeted funding will provide fully-funded upgrades for households in or at risk of fuel poverty, with packages tailored to the property – including measures such as insulation and rooftop solar.

An offer for other households
The plan also includes government-backed finance aimed at reducing the upfront cost of home energy technologies for homeowners who want to upgrade, alongside continued support for heat pumps.

New protections for renters and future standards for new homes
The Government says it will strengthen requirements to improve energy efficiency in rented homes over time and link the wider programme to the Future Homes Standard, expected to come in from early 2026, with an emphasis on building new homes that are cheaper to run.

What it could mean for Wales

Energy policy is set at Westminster, but the Government says the plan includes funding allocations for devolved nations, which could feed into programmes chosen by the Welsh Government. Existing support in Wales includes the Warm Homes Nest scheme, which provides upgrades for eligible households.

Rural parts of west Wales, including Pembrokeshire, contain many older and harder-to-heat properties, as well as off-gas homes where insulation and correctly specified systems can make the biggest difference. However, specialists have long warned that retrofitting older, solid-wall or stone properties often needs careful design to avoid problems such as damp and condensation.

Sceptical voices: targets, costs and capacity

While the announcement has been welcomed by campaigners who want faster action on cold and unhealthy housing, critics and analysts have raised concerns about whether the plan can be delivered at the scale promised.

National coverage notes that the Government has dropped plans for a future ban on new gas boilers, opting instead for incentives rather than regulation, and has set an ambition of around 450,000 heat pump installations per year by 2030 – a level some argue falls short of what would be needed to transform the market.

There are also questions over installer capacity, supply chains and quality control, after previous schemes faced criticism for inconsistency and uneven outcomes.

Next steps

Ministers say further detail will follow on eligibility, how households apply, and how support will be coordinated with devolved administrations. For families struggling with high bills, the key test will be whether the funding reaches the homes most in need quickly — and whether the measures offered work for the reality of Britain’s ageing housing stock, including rural communities in west Wales.