Following Scottish Minister’s rejection of Scottish Power Transmission’s (SPT) proposals for the new Beauly to Denny power line, as it passes through the east of the Stirling area, Stirling Council are continuing to press SPT to improve the visual impact mitigation of the line, including undergrounding.

Earlier this year, the Scottish Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism instructed SPT to reconsider their visual mitigation scheme and to further explore alternatives means of effective mitigation in consultation with Stirling Council.

Stirling Council Officers and Advisers, under the direction of the Council’s Beauly – Denny Power Line Steering Group, have met with SPT representatives on six occasions since the Minister’s request, to challenge the power company on its proposals, and to seek more effective mitigation of the power line.

Ultimately it will be for the incoming Scottish Minister, not Stirling Council, to decide whether any scheme put forward by SPT offers acceptable mitigation.

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Chair of the Council’s Steering Group, Councillor Callum Campbell, praised the on-going efforts of Council Officers in attempting to persuade SPT to reconsider their options for mitigation, said: “The Council is doing all it can in following the Minister’s request and in working with SPT to try and achieve effective mitigation of the power line for the local residents, communities, and businesses and visitors to Stirling, to ensure our valued environment and historic landscape is not blighted.”

“It appears that SPT may have their own agenda, but nonetheless, the Council will be making strong representations to the incoming Scottish Minister that SPT’s current proposals are wholly inadequate, and that it is hugely important that the correct decision is taken to with regards to effective mitigation of the power line. The Council’s position remains that the only way to avoid any detrimental visual impact is to underground the line.”

Councillor Campbell also advised that the Council’s Steering Group will be seeking an early meeting with the incoming Scottish Minister for Energy Enterprise and Tourism to discuss the implication of the Beauly – Denny Power Line project, and in particular the Minister’s and the Council’s expectations of the Stirling Visual Impact Mitigation Scheme.

It is expected that SPT will re-submit their Stirling Visual Impact Mitigation Scheme proposals for consideration by Scottish Ministers over the summer, during which Ministers are required to consult with Stirling Council before reaching any decision.

(GK)