Pylon renewal hub ‘will be good for Mid Argyll’
Anyone passing on the A83 cannot fail to have noticed the huge site south of Lochgilphead, clearly being readied for something big.
And the Kilmory site’s owner believes its ultimate use will provide a huge lift to Lochgilphead and wider Mid Argyll.
The three-and-a-half acre plot will be used as the main equipment storage depot for a multi-million pound project by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Transmission to upgrade the Inveraray-Crossaig electricity supply line.
Work on the first phase is expected to begin in the next few months.
Owner MacLeod Construction Ltd will rent the site – plus another in Kilmory Industrial Estate – to main contractor Balfour Beatty for the duration of the project.
Kenny MacLeod, managing director of MacLeod Construction Ltd, is excited at the prospect for the region, and told the Argyllshire Advertiser: ‘There is a lot going on,’ he said, ‘and it’s time we told folk what’s going on.’
‘We are carrying out work to prepare the two sites for Balfour Beatty,’ explained Mr MacLeod. ‘It’s not a big money spinner for us, but we are looking to the future.’
He added: ‘This can only lift the whole area. It will definitely be a good thing for Lochgilphead and for the shops and businesses with all the people who will be working on the job.’
The site is part of the ‘Kilmory Park’ masterplan approved in 2016 – a joint venture between MacLeod Construction, Argyll and Bute Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise – and temporary planning permission has been granted for use as a storage depot.
The second area, in Kilmory Industrial Estate, is serviced and will be used for a complex of around 40 site office units plus a staff gym, and this is almost complete.
A spokesperson for Balfour Beatty said: ‘As part of our contract to deliver overhead line works on behalf of SSEN Transmission, we will require office and storage spaces for equipment. The Lochgilphead depot sites will be used for these purposes.
‘During the two-year contract, the Balfour Beatty team will engage with the local community through educational school outreach as well as supporting the local supply chain and businesses.’ The next stage will be to
complete the depot entrance to the A83, and Mr MacLeod expects this to be ready in the next few weeks. He said: ‘As soon as we get the entrance completed, Balfour Beatty want to move in.’
The existing line of pylons was installed in the 1950s and has reached the end of its operational life. The new line, which will initially operate at 132kV, will have the capacity to be upgraded to 275kV in the future, providing additional capacity to cope with increases in electricity demand and renewable electricity generation.
Construction will be split into two phases, with the first from Inveraray to Port Ann, scheduled to begin in the coming months and expected to be complete towards the end of 2021. The second phase, from Port Ann to Crossaig, is expected to start in 2021 and be completed by summer 2024.
SSEN lead project manager Ian Clark said: ‘We are delighted to see Balfour Beatty’s depot sites in Lochgilphead taking shape, marking the start of phase one of the project.
‘With Balfour Beatty, we are now looking forward to working closely with communities, interested parties and the local supply chain throughout the construction phase, and as a responsible developer, we will do everything we can to keep disruption to an absolute minimum.’