Residents in a Perthshire conservation village say they’re horrified after power giant SSE was allowed to build a 20ft steel ‘eyesore’ outside their homes.
St Fillans is just inside the boundary for Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.
Most of the village, beside Loch Earn, was designated a conservation area in 2011.
That means locals need – and are often denied – permission to do even minor alterations to their homes.
But SSE Renewables was able to go ahead and construct its screening tower without approval – and with no prior consultation.
That’s because the structure is classed as “permitted development” under planning rules.
SSE Renewables is now offering to plant trees to block it from view of residents and the many visitors who flock to the village every year.
But locals want it gone.
They have pledged to fight to have it removed.
And they’ve enlisted Perthshire MP Pete Wishart to back them up.
Wendy Russell’s home sits directly opposite the tower.
She and her neighbours are upset at the injustice of the situation.
“We can’t do anything to our properties without planning permission,” said Wendy.
“We have to go through all sorts of hoops if we want to change anything.
“But something like this can go ahead without any consultation.”
St Fillans residents’ say park authority is ignoring its own guidelines
The device has been brought in to help clean an existing screening system at the Earn Weir.
It filters out unwanted materials before they get to the Dalchonzie Power Station.
Until now workers have had to remove foreign objects using long handled rakes. Divers are also needed at times.
The new equipment is also designed to stop endangered eels from swimming through the tunnel.
Residents say they received a letter from SSE Renewables in June saying some work would be taking place.
But the message gave no indication of the scale of what was planned.
Donna Little from St Fillans Community Council said: “It gave the impression they were going to be doing a little bit of maintenance work.
“Everyone was taken aback when they saw what had been built.
“People here can’t do even the most basic things to their houses. Yet something like that can go up in full view of their homes.”
Residents are now calling on Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority to stick to its own guidelines.
These state: “Any new development must preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the area and maintain important views towards and within it which contribute to the all-important ’sense of place’.”
Power company and National Park Authority hit back
A spokesperson for SSE Renewables defended the works.
They said: “As part of SSE Renewables’ ongoing programme of investment in our hydro infrastructure, we have installed a new, automated screen cleaner to support our operations at Earn Weir, where water is taken in for hydro power generation at Dalchonzie Power Station.
The aim of the works, which are classified as a permitted development, is to enhance safety, protect the environment and improve operational efficiency.”
The spokesperson added: “We are committed to working constructively with the local community to agree a reasonable solution to minimise the visual impact of the screen cleaner.
“With the support of a landscaping contractor and landscape architect, we are progressing mitigation options as a matter of priority. We have committed to sharing proposals with the local community in the coming weeks.”
A spokesman for Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority confirmed the rules had been followed.
“No planning permission was required for this structure,” he said.
“Planning legislation – namely the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Order 1992 – gives electricity providers such as SSE the legal right for limited development without the need for planning permission.”
MP calls for talks over St Fillans ‘eyesore’
Pete Wishart went to St Fillans to meet residents this week.
Speaking afterwards, the SNP MP said: “It is safe to say that it is a complete eyesore against the backdrop of stunningly scenic views right on the banks of the River Earn.
“Residents, whose properties sit directly in front of the structure, rightly have questions about how this was allowed to be constructed without any consultation.
“This is particularly curious in a conservation village such as St Fillans, where there are tight planning restrictions in place to ensure that the natural beauty is preserved.”
Mr Wishart said he would be asking for another meeting – this time with SSE Renewables and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.
“I will be urging them to engage with residents in order to find a resolution that is suitable to everybody impacted,” he added.
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