Land-use feud leads to hearing
A feud between a Perthshire landowner and a power company has resulted in the Scottish Government having to organise a hearing in the city next month to settle the dispute.
Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission PLC asked the government last year to consider letting it keep in place the 275kV line it has passing over land near Bertha Park Farm after the landowner called for it to be pulled down.
Andrew Ritchie, of A Ritchie and Sons, first wrote to Scottish Hydro two years ago requesting the line be taken down but Scottish Hydro insists it is “vital”to the network and has asked the government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) for what is known as “necessary wayleave”to keep it up.
In previous correspondence posted on the DPEA’s website, Mr Ritchie claimed the line“crosses through the middle of land”where Springfield Properties has planning permission to build up to 3000 new homes and was“sterilising a large corridor of prime development land’”.
And in Scottish Hydro’s application for“necessary wayleave”John Hillis of Scottish Hydro previously said: “The claim is on the basis that the landowner feels the presence of the apparatus sterilises part of the land.
“Negotiations have commenced to resolve this matter and until such time as representatives of Scottish Hydro have discussed this case further with the landowners, we would not wish this case to proceed to a hearing at this stage.”
But despite further negotiations having apparently taken place, it appears the two still do not agree the line needs to stay where it is and the Scottish Government reporter considering their claims has now organised a hearing at Perth’s Queens Hotel on Monday, September 24.
Meanwhile, three further appeals to protect pylons west of Perth that another company wants Scottish Hydro to pull down have been put on hold as behind-the-scenes negotiations continue.
Hermiston Securities Limited (HSL), a part of the Muir Group, had wanted Scottish Hydro to remove three pylons standing on land west of Glendevon Farm and the children’s activity centre Noah’s Ark.
It is understood the Muir Group is interested in building homes there after taking part in the‘Perth West Charrette’– a series of meetings several years ago during which landowners/developers discussed ambitions to build on that side of the city.