The Highland Council's North Area Planning Committee has approved SSEN Tranmission's proposals for the new Broadford Substation, a key part in the wider Skye 132kV Reinforcement Project.

Welcoming the announcement, SSEN Transmission said: "We welcome the Highland Council's North Area Planning Committee's decision to approve our Broadford Substation proposals, which forms a key component of our proposed Skye 132kV Reinforcement project.

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"Sections of the existing Fort Augustus to Skye overhead line were built in the 1950s which is fast reaching the end of its operational life, as demonstrated by three major faults in 2023 and one in early 2024 that resulted in the temporary loss of power to over 20,000 customers. The Skye Reinforcement Project is therefore critical to keep the lights on for homes and businesses across Skye and in the Western Isles.

"We now look forward to the Scottish Government's timely determination of our Section 37 application for the overhead line and remain committed to work constructively with all stakeholders to deliver this critical national infrastructure, which is essential to keep the lights on and support the transition to net zero."