Installing a grid-scale BESS requires planning consent. Planning is a devolved matter, and decision-making rules differ across the UK. In England and Wales, decisions on BESSs (regardless of their capacity) are made by local planning authorities. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, BESSs require consent. Although safety incidents for BESSs are rare, a common concern about BESSs is the potential fire risk of lithium-ion batteries(PDF). Lithium-ion batteries can catch fire because of a. There are no laws that govern the safety of BESSs specifically. However, individual batteries may have to adhere to product safety regulations, and grid-scale facilities may also have to comply. The Commons Business and Trade Select Committee has raised concerns that the UK has “insufficient domestic manufacturing capacity” for.