Craigearn – Leschangie Pylons
Recent Publicity
MSP Mike Rumbles Parliamentary Motion
CLAMPA Updates
Scottish Hydro Electric FAQ pdf file published 01 August 2016
Press & Journal Report 10/05/2016
BBC News 10/05/2016
i News 09/05/2016
Press & Journal Report 04/05/2016
Blackhillock – Kintore reinforcement projects
Preferred Route Corridor Amendment 9 March 2016 (download pdf)
Comment Deadline Friday 06 May 2016
Send comments to Lesley Dow:
Telephone: 01738 455155
Email: lesley.dow@sse.com
Postal address: Lesley Dow, Inveralmond House, 200 Dunkeld Road,, PERTH, PH1 3AQ.
Comments by BH (CLAMPA)
SSE are consulting with the public about erecting 50m high pylons all the way from Blackhillock (near Keith) to Kintore. This is an entirely new 400 kV line equal to the highest capacity in Scotland, such as the new Beauly – Denny line. The cost will be hundreds of millions of pounds.
Approaching Kintore, SSE initially considered a wide arcuate corridor from Tillyfourie, Midmar and mostly south of Sauchen. Last year SSE held public meetings on this corridor. Comments closed in January this year (2016).
In response to feedback received during the initial public consultation period it has been suggested that there are potential opportunities for a route corridor between Monymusk and Kintore. The Preferred Route Corridor has therefore been widened in response to these comments.
The original route corridor PRIOR to the present widened route is indicated shaded light purple on the plan shown below.
Following pressure of feedback, SSE are now considering an entirely new corridor between Tillyfourie and Leschangie. This passes through Craigearn and Kemnay Golf Course – between Kemnay and Castle Fraser.
SSE say the new line is designed as back-up to the Beauly – Denny line (first energised in 2015) and to cope with additional demand from 2025. However, they do not publish line utilisation figures, and they seem perfectly capable of managing without a back-up all that time. Existing high capacity lines already go between Blackhillock and Kintore.
The towers are to be up to 50m high (the two wind turbines at Greenness are lower than that even to the highest point of their blades). SSE plan to decide the pylon route by July this year. Environment impact assessments will be carried out. Then in 2018 the Scottish Government will be asked for approval – note, Aberdeenshire Council has no mandate to decide. Construction starts in 2020.
So far, 50 objectors have expressed their individual concerns to this new corridor:
- high degree of visual impact imposed by new pylons in the extensive flattish terrain to south and west of Kemnay – affecting tourism, recreation, wildlife, potential business and amenity in Kemnay and surrounding area
- signed tourist routes to and from Kemnay will be impacted
- threat to wild geese and swan feeding and breeding areas in this area
- new business activities – for example continuance and establishment of renewable biomass/forestry would be impacted
- small landowners/crofts directly affected in this area would be at significant disadvantage compared to the large landowners in the previously considered corridor to the south.
You can join the list by email to bhenderson@resultants.co.uk
The public can comment regarding the routes until the 6th of May on the SSE website https://www.ssepd.co.uk/BeaulyBlackhillockReinforcement/
The original route corridor prior to the present widened route is indicated shaded light purple on the above plan
CLAMPA
(Craigearn, Leschangie and Monymusk Pylon Action)
SHE Transmission is inviting comments on the reinforcement proposals described within the Consultation Document2 and in the briefing note. You may comment in person, at the public exhibition, or by post or email. Comments forms are available at public exhibitions and can also be downloaded from the Project websites1.
Download Comment Form
Comments can be posted or emailed to the SHE Transmission Project Liaison Manager, at the address below by Friday 06 May 2016:
Lesley Dow, SHE Transmission plc, Inveralmond House, 200 Dunkeld Road, Perth PH1 3AQ
Email: lesley.dow@sse.com Telephone: 07876 837490
When providing comments, SHE Transmission would be grateful for your consideration of the following questions:
• Do you understand the need for the Projects?
• Do you understand the approach taken to selecting an overhead line as the preferred technology?
• Do you understand the approach to the selection of the Preferred Route Corridor?
• Are there any further factors, or environmental features, that you consider may have been overlooked during the preferred route corridor selection process?
Do you have any other comments about the Preferred Route Corridor? Consultation responses were initially requested by 8 April 2016, however, at the Public Consultation event held in Monymusk on 9 March 2016 SHE received several requests to extend the Consultation Period from one month to two months. SHE have taken time to consider this request and are are happy to extend the consultation period until
Friday 6 May 2016
All comments received will inform further consideration of the Preferred Route Corridor and the eventual selection of a proposed route corridor. A Report on Consultation will be produced, which will document the above considerations and the decisions made, and will provide details of the proposed route corridor. The proposed route corridor will be taken forward for more detailed analysis to identify potential OHL route alignments. The selection of potential OHL route alignments will also be informed by this consultation exercise and through detailed surveys, which may identify any as yet unknown engineering, environmental or land use constraints. Further public consultation, on a preferred route alignment, will take place in 2017.
It is intended that a proposed route alignment will be identified, with an application for consent for that proposed route to be submitted in 2018.
Project Description
Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission owns and maintains the electricity transmission network in the north of Scotland. Due to increasing electrical demands on the network, major upgrades will be required between Beauly, Blackhillock, near Keith, and Kintore.
SHE Transmission are in the early stages of developing a new overhead line between Beauly and Blackhillock, near Keith and between Blackhillock and Kintore
Project update
In October 2015, we presented our Preferred Route Corridor for new overhead transmission lines between the existing Beauly and Blackhillock substations and Blackhillock and Kintore substations. We encouraged members of the public to take part in our 12 week public consultation held from 26th October 2015 to 15th January 2016.
We asked for feedback on the project need, the preferred technology, the approach taken to selection of the preferred route corridor options and on any other environmental, socioeconomic, technical and cost factors. This was completed by means of the following:
• A Consultation Document, describing the route corridor selection process and preferred route corridor, was produced and distributed in October 2015 via the Project websites
• 13 consultation events were held, between 27th October 2015 and 25th November 2016 in the following locations: Kintore, Daviot, Alford, Keith, Huntly, Inchberry, Dallas, Rothes, Inverness, Kirkhill, Ferness, Insch and Kilmorack;
• A branded van was used to hold mini-consultation events during the same period in Millbank, Keig, Gartly, Kiltarlity and Auchleven;
• Newspaper adverts were placed in local newspapers during the month prior to the events, events were advertised on local radio stations and posters advertising the events were placed on local noticeboards; and
• Feedback forms were made available on the Project websites and at the above listed events.
Over 800 people attended the consultation events and a total of 130 feedback forms have been received, as well as further letters and representations. In response to feedback received during the public consultation period, one amendment to the boundary of the Preferred Route Corridor has been made, in the area between Kintore and Monymusk.
An extra consultation event has been organised for the 9 March in Monymusk Hall, 1400 – 1930, to seek feedback on this amendment from all stakeholders, including the general public. A booklet and map, showing the location of the amended Preferred Route Corridor will be available for download from the project website on 9 March.
At the Public Consultation event held in Monymusk on 9 March 2016 we received several requests to extend the Consultation Period from one month to two months. We have taken time to consider this request and we are happy to extend the consultation period until Friday 6 May 2016.
Please ensure any further consultation responses are submitted by Friday 6 May 2016. We will take your feedback into account when finalising the location of our Proposed Route Corridor, which will be taken forward for further detailed analysis.
Send comments to Lesley Dow:
Telephone: 01738 455155
Email: lesley.dow@sse.com
Postal address: Lesley Dow, Inveralmond House, 200 Dunkeld Road,, PERTH, PH1 3AQ.
