A local MSP is calling for plans to establish a battery plant in Eaglesham to be paused until new Scottish Government guidance is published.
A second application to construct a 40MW battery energy storage facility on green belt land at Glasgow Road was approved by the council in April.
The Scottish Reporter subsequently rejected an appeal submitted by the developer to gain planning consent for it’s first application after it was rejected by councillors in October of last year.
In a recent letter to Jackson Carlaw MSP, the Scottish Government informed the Eastwood representative that it has now commissioned independent consultants to formulate planning guidance on battery energy storage systems (BESS).
As part of the work to prepare the guidance, input will be sought from stakeholders including Heads of Planning Scotland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and industry.
The Scottish Government has set out that the purpose of the guidance is to promote good practice in determining planning applications for battery storage facilities.
The guidance is also intended to offer information on other relevant regulatory regimes that would be applicable to battery storage in Scotland.
Scottish Conservative MSP for Eastwood, Jackson Carlaw said:
“It was a mistake for the council to have rushed a determination on the second application for the battery plant before the Reporter had even delivered a judgement on the first.
“If the near identical further application had not been brought to committee in such a short period after it’s submission, the council may also have established that new guidance on battery storage was forthcoming and to await publication before making a decision.
“The news that the Scottish Government will be formulating specific planning guidance on BESS constitutes a major change of circumstances and the council must act to ensure the proposals are paused at least until it is released.
“Senior fire service officers in other parts of the UK have warned about the risks associated with lithium-ion batteries and the SFRS is to be consulted on the proposed new Scottish guidance.
“I remain firmly opposed to the loss of significant green belt land in Eaglesham to make way for an unwanted battery plant.”
