Our names are Morag and Craig Hannan and we have raised a petition for Judicial Review against East Renfrewshire Council following the highly contentious decision on the 15th April 2025 to approve the planning application put forward by Apatura (GPC 1137 ltd) for a 40 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the entrance to the conservation village of Eaglesham which is planned for directly opposite our house.

While most people agree that BESS can be useful in helping maintain energy security as part of our net zero targets, all across the UK these installations are being railroaded through at Council, Scottish and UK government level with no legislation as to what makes a site suitable..... and safe.  

In the Eaglesham BESS's case the local development plan and well recognised fire safety guidelines on BESS installations have been ignored by ERC's planning team who at all stages throughout this process seem to have been determined that this application should proceed.

Summary 

On the 15th April 2025, 3 councillors voted for and 3 against the controversial plans which had attracted 315 objections from concerned residents.  The chair who had not been present at the first application hearing had the casting vote for the proposal.  A very similar application had been made by the same company only months before and had been rejected at council level -  4 councillors for, 2 councillors against.  This was appealed by Apatura and the Scottish Reporter also subsequently rejected the application 

It was inexplicable why a very similar second planning application was rushed through by the planning team at the request of the company prior to the Scottish Reporter's appeal decision.

For the second application all the councillors who had been there for the first application voted the same.  However, the day before the second application was due to be heard,  Councillor Annette Ireland (who voted for the proposal in both cases) made a complaint against Councillor Paul Edlin that he had prejudiced himself at a local Community Council meeting two weeks prior. The transcript has clearly demonstrated this was not the case. 

Councillor Edlin was only given two hours notice prior to the meeting by the Council's Chief Legal officer, Gerry Mahon, that this allegation had been raised and was put under undue pressure to not attend being told he could face the standards commissioner.  His vote would have been critical.  He was denied the chance to partake in local democracy.

Throughout the last 18 months since Apatura announced their plans the Eaglesham and Waterfoot communities along with the wider East Renfrewshire Community have rallied together against the development with hundreds of objections lodged at each stage.

With the decision to approve the plans the momentum has only increased.  The online petition "Overturn the Battery Storage Plant approval in Eaglesham" at  https://chng.it/pRL2jyxGVn is now sitting at over 3500 signatures and The Eaglesham Community Action Group led by Tommy Taylor has kept the pressure on the Council.  Conservatives councillors backed by Jackson Carlaw MSP have pushed East Renfrewshire Council into costing up whether a Section 65 under the Town and Country Act (Scotland) is possible. While this may be successful it is something that is outside the control of the community.  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.

We need your help!!

Our legal team is being led by Roddy Dunlop KC, Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, from Axiom Advocates.  He believes that Councillor Edlin had not prejudiced himself and the pressure that he was put on by the council's representative was not legal.

The council have lodged a response that they intend to defend their position.  To take this further we are raising money to continue to pay our legal fees so that we can take East Renfrewshire Council to the court of session.

We are raising an initial amount of £5000 to allow this to happen and continue our legal fight.  Please consider donating to our cause to hold East Renfrewshire to account.  Anything that you give will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much!!

Morag and Craig