A ROADSIDE battery box at Kingskerswell will be part of a nationwide drive towards net zero.

Councils across the UK are pledging to drive down their carbon emissions to zero, and the new box will be part of a growing network.

Teignbridge Council’s planning committee has said yes to the box, which will be situated on a grass verge opposite Coventry Farm industrial buildings in Torquay Road.

Ashley Boyce, of Amp Clean Energy, told the committee 68 identical schemes had been given permission already in other parts of the country.

The boxes connect directly into the local electricity network supplying homes, businesses, schools and hospitals, storing excess renewable energy until it is needed.

She said: ‘We are running out of capacity and this increases the risk of power cuts.

'A storage method which increases the capacity of the system is needed.’

However, ward councillor Jane Taylor said the plan would see ‘a huge great container’ at the entrance to the village.

She said: ‘People have worked very hard to make this village nice.

‘This is not suitable for that location on the grass verge. It can’t be hidden behind screening. I don’t think it’s the right place.’