Campaigners have set up a £10,000 fighting fund bid in a crucial stage of their fight against a line of ‘super pylons’ through the Angus countryside.
Angus Pylon Group is stepping up its opposition to SSEN’s 400kV Kintore to Tealing overhead line project.
It comes as the energy giant prepares to embark on the next round of public consultation over the ambitious scheme.
In response, campaigners have arranged their own public meeting this month to bring opponents together.
£20bn project
SSEN is beginning a series of events around its Pathway to 2030 development programme.
It is part of a £20 billion plan to turn the north of Scotland into a “clean energy powerhouse”.
The public engagement programme will gather feedback on substation and OHL proposals which have sparked controversy in communities across the north-east.
In Angus, the consultation events will take place on:
- Tuesday March 5 – Memus Community Hall (2-7pm)
- Wednesday March 6 – Forfar Reid Hall (2-7pm)
- Thursday March 7 – Tealing Village Hall (2-7pm)
- Tuesday March 12 – Brechin City Hall (2-7pm)
Other events are also planned for Errol (Mar 4), Alyth (Mar 6), Laurencekirk (Mar 14), Drumlithie (Mar 19), Braco (Mar 20) and Auchenblae (Mar 21).
In December, SSEN announced a re-routing of the proposed OHL near Forfar.
Offshore cable call
But Vince Taylor, who lives just north of the town, says the prospect of a line of towering pylons up to 75 metres high is unthinkable.
The pylon action group has launched a Go Fund Me page to generate funds.
They say it could be used for legal and other fees in the battle against the proposal.
Vince said: “This fight against the proposed new 400kV Kintore to Tealing OHL is not trying to stop net zero, as this is a very laudable ambition.
“It is about how net zero is achieved without destroying our countryside.”
He added: “It is not about getting the route changed so that it is away from our backyard and into someone else’s.
“It is about getting this line stopped or moved offshore, as most, if not all, of the energy being transmitted by this line is generated offshore.”
“The fight against this OHL is about trying to prevent the industrialisation of our beautiful countryside.
“It is about trying to prevent the ruination of some of the best agricultural land in the UK.”
Property value fears
“It is about trying to save the houses of those that many have built with their own hands,” Vince added.
“And it is also about trying to stop these houses becoming almost unsalable in many cases.
“Or, at the very least, trying to stop these homeowners losing tens of thousands off the value of their houses.”
Impacts on tourism and wildlife are among other major concerns.
“As part of our campaign and to inform residents of this project, if they don’t already know, we are having a meeting on Saturday March 16 at 10am in Forfar Community Campus,” added Vince.
Angus SNP MP Dave Doogan and north east Conservative MSP Tes White will attend.
SSEN call for public feedback
SSEN Transmission managing director Rob McDonald said it was vital for the public to get involved.
“This is one of the biggest investment programmes in the north of Scotland for almost a century,” he said.
“Our £20bn programme will help unlock cleaner, more secure energy for homes and businesses for generations to come.
“The north of Scotland can be a clean energy powerhouse and is set to play a leading role in delivering UK and Scottish Government energy security and net zero targets.
“We want to bring communities on that journey with us.
“This next round of public engagement and statutory pre-application consultations events will be crucial.
“The views shared at these events really matter to us, and help to shape the development of our projects massively, as can be seen in the changes made to our initial proposals after the first consultation round.
“So we’d really encourage anyone who has an interest to come along, find out about our plans and share their thoughts.”
Conversation