Food firm boss joins fight to stop pylon ‘industrialisation’
food manufacturing company Macphies has joined the fight to protest against energy firm SSEN’S “complete industrialisation of the north east”.
The outgoing chairman of the Aberdeenshire-based company Alastair Macphie said the energy group's pylon development will "destroy countryside, impact communities and disrupt thousand of individuals.”
He refers to a newly proposed 66-mile 400 kv overhead line from Kintore to Tealing. The line will be held up by monster pylons said to reach up to 200ft tall.
With the development potentially crossing over his land, Mr Macphie has now publicly supported the Save Our Mearns campaign group, which was set up to protest against the pylons.
Campaigners said the Mearns area, which includes villages like Auchenblae and Glenbervie, will feel the impact of the project the most. Speaking to The Scotsman, Mr Macphie said: “This area already has a gas pipelines, an oil pipeline, water pipeline, dual carriage way and rail infrastructure and three existing overhead electrical supplies all in less than a mile as the crow flies.
"SSEN are not willing to listen and believe driving their case is there right and is the only option – it’s clearly not. SSEN seem convinced destroying countryside, impacting communities and disrupting thousand of individuals is preferable."
Tracey Smith, co-founder of Save Our Mearns, said: "This area is going to become a spaghetti junction, concrete and steel with a constant buzzing away ," she said. "It’s a complete industrialisation of the north-east and people here are scared."
Ms Smith said the community feels "kept in the dark" and overlooked in the Scottish Government's "race to net zero."
Residents are also concerned about the value of property in the area going down.
SSEN said the developments have been" informed by extensive public and statutory stake international holder consultation, as well as considering constraints such as environmental designations and existing infrastructure locations."
A spokesperson for the energy company said: "We have just completed a round of over 40 public events, including in relation to the new Kintoretealing overhead line, inviting feedback from communities and stakeholders on our plans and giving a further opportunity to influence route alignments and associated tower locations ahead of alignments being presented for consultation this summer.”
The spokesperson said the firm "had not seen clear, objective evidence that the Kintore to Tealing 400kv project will have a direct impact on the value of properties."
The anger over the project is not only directed as SSEN, but also ministers who have been viewed as enabling the plans with their hard push for net zero targets. A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “Scotland has some of the most stringent environmental impact regulations anywhere in the world.”
SSEN seem convinced destroying countryside and impacting communities is preferable