Latest news with #MoragHannan
Glasgow Times
22-07-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Campaigners to challenge Eaglesham battery plant ruling
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. 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.
Glasgow Times
11-05-2025
- General
- Glasgow Times
Eaglesham Mum raises concerns about battery storage facility
Last month East Renfrewshire Council gave Cheshire-based firm GPC 1337 Ltd, which is understood to be a subsidiary of Apatura, the go ahead to build and run a 40-megawatt battery energy storage system (BESS) on an agricultural site at the east side of Glasgow Road in Eaglesham. A previous application was refused last October after councillors raised concerns over the risk of fire from lithium-ion batteries. The company returned with a new plan, which council planners once again recommended for approval, but more than 300 people submitted objections to the scheme, including local MSP Jackson Carlaw. READ NEXT: Song celebrating Glasgow football club released for lifelong fan's 90th birthday READ NEXT: ScotRail peak fares to be scrapped in major change MSP Jackson Carlaw has previously stated his opposition to the decision (Image: Sourced) One of those vehemently against the BESS is Morag Hannan who has three young children and whose family is one of four households living metres from the site. The mum, who has described the increasing number of BESSs as an 'assault on the Scottish countryside,' is deeply concerned because when lithium batteries go wrong, they do so 'explosively' and 'have a tendency to reignite.' The 41-year-old said: 'We would have to evacuate towards the fire. We don't have any way to go out the back. 'It's barbed wire fences and our neighbour beside us has got a stone wall. He's in his eighties and he can't get over that wall. 'We would have to move towards the fire and the hydrant is directly outside our drive, so if fire engines got there first, we're trapped. We cannot get out." Morag Hannan with neighbour Kenneth Munro and husband Craig at the site (Image: Newsquest) 'The advice is to shelter in place, but it's a listed building with chimneys and obviously everyone's worried about the toxic fumes that come off battery fires," she added. 'We don't think that we could safely shelter in place and we don't know how we would get out either and these are things that the planning officer has ignored.' She pointed to the battery storage plant fire at Moss Landing in California earlier this year and last month at a battery recycling plant in Kilwinning to highlight the devastation that can occur in the event of a battery fire. Her concerns, however, are not just for her family and neighbours but for the long-term environmental and health impact a BESS and a fire would potentially have on Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire and beyond. She has also raised questions as to why this site has to be used, when it is connecting more than five miles away to a substation in Giffnock. Morag Hannan (Image: Newsquest) 'In Moss landing they tested the soil samples and there are dangerous levels of toxic metals in the soil since the fire,' said Morag, who also raised concerns about asthma and respiratory problems following battery fires. 'We're talking about the whole of East Renfrewshire being affected if this happens. 'The White Cart River is 170 metres downhill from this site. 'They said they will put in protection measures, but they keep chopping and changing and they can't tell us how these work. 'There's such a high safety issue, not to mention the noise, which they've kind of downplayed." Morag Hannan, neighbour Kenneth and her husband Craig (Image: Newsquest) A petition to overturn the decision was started by a non-Eaglesham resident, which Morag says shows that this is not just an Eaglesham issue and how many throughout the authority feel strongly about the issue. The petition, which highlights concerns about the establishment of a BESS on greenbelt land and potential land contamination, has attracted nearly 3,000 signatures. It states that the council had earlier rejected a similar proposal from the same company, with councillors 'raising concerns about the suitability of the site and pointing out that the energy produced may not necessarily be from renewable sources'. It further adds that their earlier judgment should have set a precedent, yet now, 'inexplicably', approval has been granted. An Eaglesham Community Action group has also been started by Eaglesham resident Tom Taylor in response to the decision. Tom has raised concerns about a high voltage electricity line and a high pressure natural gas line running through the site. An Apatura BESS (Image: Apatura) Andrew Philpott, chief development officer at Apatura, said: 'The points raised by residents are understandable, and when developing projects, we take all of the local communities' concerns extremely seriously. 'The proposed project at Eaglesham has been through a rigorous planning process, meeting all of the council's requirements and ensuring the proposed project is developed to the highest standard. 'This includes developing a comprehensive fire safety plan with the local Fire and Rescue Service (FRS), conducting environmental impact reports and extensive Noise Impact Assessments (NIAs). 'These steps minimise the impact on local communities and environments, whilst maximising the impact on Scotland's net zero targets. 'We also develop a community fund alongside all our projects, specifically designed to directly fund community projects and benefit local residents. Our goal is to ensure that the communities hosting our projects share in the rewards, contributing to a sustainable and equitable future for all. 'Battery Energy Storage Systems are a crucial part of decarbonising the UK's energy demand and directly support the vast amounts of wind and solar energy produced in Scotland - storing it when generation is high for when demand is at its peak - and help put an end to expensive curtailment costs. 'The Eaglesham project is critical infrastructure for the nation, and whilst we're still in the early stages of development, we look forward to working closely with the local community and the council to make sure it's beneficial for all parties involved.' An East Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: "Having considered the application in full, permission was granted by our Planning Applications Committee with a number of conditions which must be met by the applicant."
