Campaigners to challenge Eaglesham battery plant ruling
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.
READ MORE: All the latest changes to Glasgow city centre streets explained
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'.
READ MORE: This is the plan for this iconic Glasgow city centre building
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
28 minutes ago
- BBC News
Teenage Warwickshire council leader George Finch 'wanted to teach'
George Finch had planned to be at university studying to become a history at the of 19, he has become the youngest council leader in the UK, running Warwickshire County Council with a budget of £ Reform UK councillor still lives at his family home and cannot yet drive. Facts which have led to jibes in public and private from some opposition became the largest party on the previously Conservative-led authority with 23 seats in May's local elections. Speaking exclusively to the BBC, he hit back at criticism about his lack of life and professional experience – labelling those turning their noses up at his appointment as "ageist" and "not relevant".Sitting down in the leader's office, shortly after scraping through a leadership vote at the council's Shire Hall headquarters, Finch called out his said: "All I see is age… I don't care about my age. Would people be questioning if there was a 70-year-old at the helm? Probably not."Joe Biden, Donald Trump, presidents that are older – no-one questions it. But they're questioning someone who is 19." But leading a £2bn organisation is not a typical job for a 19-year-old, and Finch admitted he had had other plans."I wanted to be a history teacher. I loved history and I loved teaching but the problem was the curriculum, especially history. Universities and colleges are a conveyor belt for socialist wokeism."Finch said he had been inspired by Reform and former Conservative MP Lee Anderson, who has previously criticised educational establishments for what he perceives as teachers pushing "dog whistle divisive politics" on April, National Education Union members called for funds to be used to help campaign against Reform UK candidates. The organisation, Britain's biggest teaching union, branded Reform UK "a racist and far right" party. In his time as interim leader, Finch said he had used his new "influence" over education by calling Anjit Samra, CEO of Stowe Valley Multi-Academy Trust, to his office after a row over a union jack dress at Bilton School, in Rugby."I don't have the power to tell him what to do as he's an academy, but I do have that influence. "I asked him simple, I said 'I would like to see, and I think it's in your best interests, if you have a school assembly on the importance of British culture'."Asked what his friends made of his new job, he said: "They love it, when I have to go to the pub I don't have to buy a pint." But why did Reform appeal to him and why is it gaining momentum with some young people?"People can't afford homes, they can't have a car, postgraduate jobs are decreasing. It's getting harder for us to see a good future, a better future. And with Reform UK, that's what gives people that hope."He said he thought his appointment would probably help attract people to the party."It shows that anyone can do anything in this party, if you're up to the task. If you've got that merit-based system - and that's where we've gone wrong for far too long in the private and public sector."He added: "It's 'oh, here's a job because of your skin colour or your creed or your religion'. No, you get the job because you're good at it." A keen rugby player, Finch is used to battling on the pitch. But it was in the corridors of power where he faced his first public fight, in a row with the council's chief executive Monica Fogarty, after he asked for a Progress Pride Flag to be removed from outside Shire Hall in UK leader Nigel Farage even waded into the row calling out what he perceived as "obstructionism" by council officials saying "Warwickshire is a very, very good example".Asked if he could work with the council chief executive and other officers, Finch said: "We have done. We have to have that professional working relationship."Pushed on whether it was professional to publicly call out the council's chief executive, he said: "We're working together, the council is running. I think you're looking too deep into this." Talking about his priorities for Warwickshire over the coming months and years, Finch said having a sister with special educational needs and disabilities meant he had a keen interest in the area which has been labelled a financial threat to the future of the has pledged to cut wasteful spending and improve the efficiency of the councils it runs. But some of its spending decisions have faced criticism, while opponents say there has been little concrete action to reduce Warwickshire, opposition parties have criticised Finch and his party for planning to hire political assistants at a cost of up to £190,000 a year, saying the money should be spent on front-line services contentious area is the potential scrapping of lower-level councils as part of the Labour government's devolution said he wanted to look at these ideas in his county and he would like to see areas such as Nuneaton and Bedworth given their own town councils.
The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Who does Labour exist to represent in Starmer's Britain?
Contrary to what many people remember the first Thatcher government, elected in 1979, was comparatively benign compared with what was to come – the miners' strike, mass unemployment, the economic vandalism of the 1980s, the Poll Tax – and Kinnock knew that it was simply a warm-up routine. If Thatcher was re-elected, he told the packed hall and a live TV audience on News at Ten, 'I warn you not to be ordinary. I warn you not to be young. I warn you not to fall ill. I warn you not to get old'. Read More: A politician so cruelly misrepresented in the Conservative media, Kinnock was not only the architect of New Labour, and arguably the best Prime Minister his party never had, he was also the greatest platform orator of his generation. Listening to one of his rousing, charismatic and intelligent speeches, was to be reminded of the power of collective ambition and the glorious possibility of change. Above all, he always stressed the importance of not overpromising and of delivering. Neil Kinnock (Image: PA) What is striking about listening to his words today – more than 40 years later – is that under the current leadership, they might equally apply to the Labour government. Labour leaders have always faced a perilous balancing act in appealing simultaneously to the party faithful and the wider electorate. There are those, like Tony Blair and Harold Wilson, who managed the neat trick of speaking effectively to both. Others, like Jeremy Corbyn and Michael Foot didn't even pretend to be interested in engaging with the latter and succumbed, inevitably to the gravitational effects of their own hubris at the polls. The current leadership appears to be the first in the party's history to speak to neither. Sir Keir Starmer's first year as Prime Minister has been marked by a dramatic collapse in public support, with his net approval rating now worse than all post-Thatcher prime ministers, with the exception of Gordon Brown, at the same stage. Key missteps include his controversial decision – alongside Chancellor Rachel Reeves – to cut winter fuel payments for pensioners. This move, justified by a disputed £22billion "black hole", alienated older voters and damaged his reputation, and his inability to deliver on key manifesto pledges accelerated that decline. A recent Public First poll revealed 39% of voters believe he has made no progress on any major promises, including cutting NHS waiting times (24%), restoring order to the asylum system (8%), or improving border security (12%). Tax hikes included in last year's Autumn Statement eroded business confidence, while a prisoner early-release scandal – where a freed inmate thanked Starmer for his "privilege" – deepened the sense of detachment. A disastrous first year was capped with the poor handling of the government's welfare bill, which squeezed through its final Commons stage, only after significant rebellion and concessions. The bill's passage followed weeks of chaos, with ministers forced to scrap PIP cuts for existing claimants and delay changes for new ones. Starmer's low-drama persona, once an asset against Tory turmoil, now appears indecisive, with Reform overtaking Labour in polls and Nigel Farage seen as a stronger leader. The most damaging impact of these failures may well be in the longer term, applied by voters who could be forgiven for wondering who Labour represents and what it stands for. If it is not there to support the 'ordinary, the young, the ill and the old' then what is its purpose? The party is still battling to overcome claims of antisemitism that took root under Corbyn's disastrous, sclerotic leadership. This week Susan Smith, director of the campaign group For Women Scotland claimed the party has an 'ongoing women problem' after Labour MP Tim Roca described gender critical activists as 'swivel-eyed'. While Blair had the benefit of a growing economy when he won a landslide victory in 1997, he also came into office with an identifiable political credo and a sense of purpose. The doctrinal prism through which all policy decisions were refracted, was reform – modernising the party and bringing it more in line with mainstream orthodoxy. While he inevitably alienated parts of Labour's base – not least through his disastrous and, ultimately career-defining, decision to support a US invasion of Iraq – he continued to command popular support. If there's one thing core voters and activists cannot argue against, it's winning elections. The problem for Starmer and his colleagues is that, more than a year into government, voters still have no idea what they stand for. Relying solely on competence for electoral appeal quickly becomes a liability when you make a series of demonstrably incompetent decisions. Before Starmer can begin to address his party's disparity in the opinion polls, he must prioritise reconnecting with its grassroots, to articulate more clearly his values and beliefs, to counter the threat, not only from Farage's snake oil promises, but also from Corbyn's new, and as yet unnamed, party of the far left. He could do worse than start watch another of Kinnock's former speeches, his leader's address to the Labour conference in 1985 when he took on Militant Tendency, the Trotskyist insurgency that threatened to subvert the party from within. His delivery was an object lesson in highlighting the futility of dogmatc obsession and was directed at Militant members who had captured Liverpool City Council, bankrupting it with profligate, illegal spending and then sacking its own employees because it couldn't afford to pay their wages. 'Implausible promises don't win victories,' he told a chastened hall. If Starmer can first convince his party's faithful of that abiding truth, he will be better placed to win over the wider electorate. Carlos Alba is a journalist, author, and PR consultant at Carlos Alba Media. His latest novel, There's a Problem with Dad, explores the issue of undiagnosed autism among older people
The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Public funding row bus firm Alexander Dennis may get more millions
The develpment comes amidst a public funding row which saw ADL receive tens of millions from the public purse even after it embarked on a plan to axe a third of its Scottish workforce five years ago. ADL has been warned by the Scottish Government that some of the millions could be subject to clawback if goes ahead with the move to England. The Scottish Government's Scottish Enterprise agency has said in a briefing from July 18 that in its most recent review in December, "no risks had been identified that would preclude continued funding". Scottish Enterprise says that that a joint UK working group involving themselves and the UK and Scottish governments are identifying solutions that they say "support continued investment and employment at ADL's Scottish sites". It has said that no funding has been paid out yet since the company announcement but that any support was subject to "rigorous monitoring and safeguarding measures". Scottish Enterprise chief executive Adrian Gillespie said: "We will continue to work closely with all partners to explore all avenues to retain jobs and secure long-term investment". Alba Party leader Kenny MacAskill said all further [[pub]]lic funding of ADL should cease unless there is a commitment to remain in Scotland and that millions should be clawed back if ADL departed. Last month, Alexander Dennis began consultations on a plan to close its Falkirk operations and cease manufacturing at its Larbert base with the loss of 400 on site jobs. Manufacturing would be centralised at its Scarborough operation which has the capacity to produce around 1,200 buses a year. The agency analysis came in response to a group of MSPs seeking a clear outline of the actions Scottish Enterprise is taking now, in coordination with the Scottish Government and other partners, to support continued manufacturing and investment at the Scottish sites. Unite Scotland estimates that up to 1,600 jobs could be at risk when supply chain roles are included and has warned of a 'devastating' impact on communities already reeling from the Grangemouth oil refinery closure. Ministers have confirmed that should Alexander Dennis go ahead with exiting Scotland, the financial assistance paid may be subject to "clawback". They have said that it will be down to Scottish Enterprise to decide on how to proceed. Kenny MacAskill According to Scottish Government records, ADL received £58m of public 'subsidy' for green vehicles since 2020 under two schemes aimed at transitioning Scotland to green buses - despite the company having embarked on a 2020 plan to axe a third of its Scottish workforce. And some £30m of jobs grants for research and development over 10 years has come from the Scottish Government's economic development agency Scottish Enterprise. Some £11.2m of those jobs grants from Scottish Enterprise came in 2023, three years after concerns were raised over ADL embarking on major job cuts. By the time the 2020 jobs cut was in place, ADL had already received over £8m in 'job securing' taxpayer funding which was promoted as supporting building a new greener business in Scotland. The Herald revealed that ADL warned the First Minister it was "'reconsidering' its 'entire investment' in Scotland — a year before announcing plans to relocate to England. He was also told they had already been 'forced' to offshore certain manufacturing functions to China. The First Minister intervened after learning of potential redundancies at the firm, suggesting 'further capital support' and advising Scottish Enterprise to 'exhaust all options to support the business'. Finance secretary Shona Robison has said that Scottish Enterprise "is continuing to work closely with ADL to try to find a positive solution". ADL has allowed an extra fortnight for efforts to save the jobs of workers in Falkirk and Larbert. A deadline for a consultation is now set for August 15. SNP's Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon once set out the economic case for Scottish Independence from an Alexander Dennis depot (Image: Newsquest) Mr MacAskill, who said the job losses were "unacceptable", said ADL "must be held to account if they choose to relocate south of the border". And he said any further financial support given must contain firm guarantees that ADL is staying in Scotland and that funds can be recouped if there is any change of mind. He said: "Falkirk and Larbert have served them well over the years and Scottish Governments and agencies have supported them handsomely. Closure is bad enough but relocation rubs salt into the wound. "Any funds that can be clawed back absolutely must be. The workers community and Scotland deserve no less. READ MORE from Martin Williams: How buying Chinese sparked public funding row over Scots bus jobs going to England? Swinney got year-long warning England-bound bus firm was 'reconsidering' Scotland FM in funding row as £90m public cash for Scots jobs given to firm going to England Union says 1600 Scots jobs at risk if government doesn't act in 'national interest' "Workers are entitled to loyalty from their governments as well as their employers. Public funds are for public good." Ministers have said they are working with bus operators to drum up interest for much-needed orders for ADL. The company has previously said that it would need to see a significant rise in bus orders – between 70 and 100 by the end of the year and 300-400 next year – to remain open. In a briefing, Scottish Enterprise chief executive Adrian Gillespie said that it remained "fully committed to supporting ADL and safeguarding Scotland's strategic manufacturing capabilities". He added: "We will continue to work closely with all partners to explore all avenues to retain jobs and secure long-term investment." Adrian Gillespie (Image: SE) The agency has said that past funding typically include obligations such as job creation or retention, matched funding from the company involved. And while it said that while the specific terms agreed with ADL are "commercially sensitive" it "rigorously monitors all funded projects to "ensure compliance and value for public investment". "Monitoring includes regular reporting on technical progress, milestone achievements, and any deviations from the original project plan. Risks are assessed prior to each payment," said Mr Gillespie. "As of the most recent review, no risks had been identified that would preclude continued funding. Scottish Enterprise's grant conditions include key safeguards and the option to claw back funding." He added that "we remain fully committed to supporting ADL and safeguarding Scotland's strategic manufacturing capabilities. "Scottish Enterprise is working closely with ADL, the Scottish Government, and UK partners to exploit all viable options to retain ADL operations and employment in Scotland." Ministers say there is a commitment from ADL to consider keeping chassis manufacture as well as the possibility of single deck bus manufacture in Scotland. And they say action is being taken to liaise with commercial bus operators and local transport authorities to establish the current demand for double deck buses in Scotland and were working alongside the UK Government to identify demand in other parts of the UK. But there remains concerns that UK subsidy rules which has curbed [[Scottish Government]] action in providing a direct contract award to its own Inverclyde shipyard firm Ferguson Marine is hindering attempts to give [[pub]]licly funded support for ADL to try and keep the company in Scotland. But Ms Robison has said it was for the UK Government to make any changes to the Subsidy Control Act which might benefit Scottish businesses. She has told MSPs that the government was committed to looking at "all viable options" and are working with private bus companies. 'I agree about the importance of securing a short-term pipeline of orders,' she said. 'Please be assured that we are therefore liaising with commercial bus operators and local transport authorities to establish the current demand for double-deck buses in Scotland and are working alongside UK Government to identify demand in other parts of the UK," she said in a briefing. 'I am in full agreement with you about the importance of Alexander Dennis to Scotland and of retaining the jobs of the highly-skilled workers. 'That is why we are continuing to work at pace with Scottish Enterprise and UK Government, and alongside the company and trade unions, to explore all viable options to support ADL to retain bus manufacturing in Scotland.' Kate Forbes (Image: Colin Mearns) Deputy first minister Kate Forbes said: 'Our absolute focus continues to be on exploring all viable options to support Alexander Dennis Ltd, its workforce and the families and communities they support. 'The [[Scottish Government]] continues to work in close collaboration with the company, trade unions, Scottish Enterprise, Transport Scotland and the [[UK Government]] during the consultation period. 'This work includes discussions on potential support for a company furlough scheme and urgently examining options to provide greater confidence regarding short-term demand for bus manufacturing in Scotland. "
