Residents and MSP power ahead with pylon protest
RESIDENTS fighting plans for more pylons in one of Scotland’s most scenic villages want to see the new power line go underground or under the loch instead.
There was a majority show of hands in favour of these alternative options at a public meeting in Dalmally last week.
The meeting came after Glenorchy and Innishail Community Council asked Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) to carry out a ‘fairer consultation’ process.
Villagers know power needs to be taken out of Argyll but don’t want to see their community, already scarred by existing pylons, disfigured even more as part of a proposed ‘super highway’ link.
Michael Russell MSP was at Thursday’s meeting to hear locals strongly reject plans by SSE to run a high voltage transmission line of pylons through their village – no one from SSE was available to attend.
There was harsh words from residents about SSE’s consultation efforts so far, with villagers saying they felt ignored.
One woman said the first she knew of plans to put two new pylons on her land was when two men knocked at her door and asked to look round: ‘To say we’ve been consulted is a nonsense,’ she said.
Another resident said: ‘We are being viewed as a junction box. We need to fight this strongly and we need to be united about what we are fighting for. Pylons would be a catastrophe.’ People also complained no one from SSE made any records or wrote down any comments when officials met with residents last month to outline their proposals.
There was also a feeling other options of taking the power line underground or under the loch had been looked at but not considered by SSE and the only option the power company was ‘broadcasting’ was the pylon option - the cheapest one.
Mr Russell said he was not in a position ‘to wave a magic wand’ for campaigners but believed more pylons would be ‘an over- load on the landscape’ and said he would be opposing it.
He said there was a need to take power out of Argyll but the question was ‘Is this the right way? Does it have to be a large industrial structure?’
The MSP urged residents to keep making their views clear to SSE, get publicity about their campaign, make use of local councillors, himself and other parliamentary representatives as well as build up their anti-pylon petition, already signed by more than 300 people and get every household signed up.
‘People have the right not to live surrounded by pylons and cables, and if the whole community says that, it’s very powerful,’ he said, adding that he hoped SSE would do the ‘sensible’ thing. He now plans to write to SSE and arrange a meeting.
SSEN wants to build a new 275/132kV Creag Dhubh substation; a new 275kV overhead line between the proposed North Argyll substation and the existing Dalmally substation; rebuild the existing 132kV overhead line between Taynuilt and the proposed Creag Dhubh substation and decommission a 132Kv overhead line between Taynuilt and the proposed Creag Dhubh substation.
The consultation closing date is Friday April 27.