Stirling Council has expressed extreme disappointment and concern over Scottish Power Transmissions (SPT) latest scheme for visual mitigation of their 400kv high voltage overhead power line as it passes across the Forth Valley to the east of Stirling, through historic and sensitive landscapes and close to communities.

Councillor Campbell, Chair of the Council's Beauly - Denny Power Line Steering Group said: "The latest visual mitigation proposals for the overhead line from SPT comprise little more than some additional landscaping and localised tower painting, and are essentially the same limited measures as SPT originally put forward in October 2010, which were unanimously rejected as wholly inadequate by our communities and also turned-down by Scottish Ministers earlier this year.

"What is particularly disappointing is that following Scottish Ministers' request that SPT engage meaningfully with Stirling Council to consider unexplored options to improve mitigation, and despite the considerable efforts of the Council, SPT has entirely rejected the various undergrounding and other options suggested by Stirling Council principally on the basis of cost," he said.

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Councillor Campbell added: "Stirling Council have issues with SPTs conclusions on the range of mitigation options considered and dispute the weighted assessments and findings.

"The Council will challenge these during the forthcoming formal consultation with Scottish Ministers.

"Stirling Council's position remains unaltered in that the only form of effective mitigation is avoidance in the first instance, which is undergrounding of the high-voltage overhead powerline.

SPT re-submitted their proposals for the Stirling Visual Impact Mitigation Scheme to Scottish Government on 26 August. Scottish Ministers are now required to formally consult on the scheme with Stirling Council over a 45-day period, before Ministers reach a decision.

Councillor Campbell drew comparisons with similar projects in England, where the UK Government are now actively promoting undergrounding of high voltage cables through sensitive areas; and advised that the Council's Steering Group will be seeking an early meeting with the 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 for the Stirling Visual Impact Mitigation Scheme.

(BMcC/GK)