Campaigners to challenge Eaglesham battery plant ruling

Glasgow Times

5 days ago

Mum-of-three Morag Hannan is worried about the possible fire risk from lithium-ion batteries as the 40-megawatt storage plant is set to be installed opposite her home on Glasgow Road.
Alongside her husband Craig, they have raised a petition for judicial review against East Renfrewshire Council. The couple have launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover the costs of the action, with almost £3,400 donated so far.
Ms Hannan said she has 'many concerns about the safety risk as well as toxic fumes' from the site. She believes her family, and an elderly neighbour, would be forced to evacuate towards a fire, as there is no way out to the back of their properties.
But they could become trapped if fire engines need to use a hydrant outside their driveway, the mum said.
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GPC 1137 Ltd, a subsidiary of Apatura, had an initial bid refused by East Renfrewshire's planning committee last year, when councillors voiced concerns over fire risk, but a second application was later approved.
After that decision, a reporter appointed by the Scottish Government rejected an appeal over the first plan. He found the proposal would lead to 'adverse visual effects in a greenbelt location'.
Apatura wants to store surplus energy from the national grid in the batteries, which would then be returned when required. It has said the development will 'support the decarbonisation of the energy industry in the UK'.
Judicial reviews focus on the process or legality of a decision, rather than the planning merits of the application. It is understood the review will centre on Cllr Paul Edlin, who the campaigners say was unable to vote at the second planning meeting following a complaint that he had 'prejudiced himself' with comments made about the project at a community council meeting.
They believe this wasn't the case and Cllr Edlin faced 'undue pressure' not to attend the meeting, denying him an opportunity to 'partake in local democracy'.
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Almost 3,700 people have signed a petition which calls for the decision to be overturned. Council officials are currently investigating the required legal steps and the cost of revoking permission, following a motion from Conservative councillors. They previously had a motion which pushed for revocation ruled incompetent.
Ms Hannan said: 'The only remedy available to us is to take legal action ourselves and we are going to continue this fight until the decision is overturned.'
East Renfrewshire Council is expected to defend its position. A spokesman said the authority is unable to comment due to the ongoing legal proceedings. Campaigners believe the case could be heard in September.
The developers have previously said the application was 'accompanied by a suite of technical documents which demonstrate the proposal will not lead to significant adverse harm'.
Ahead of the meeting where planning permission was granted, council officials reported the second application differed from the original as more information has been submitted on fire safety and a water tank is now proposed to be created underground.