Campaigners launch Dalmally pylon protest
CAMPAIGNERS in Dalmally have launched a petition opposing a ‘monstrous’ plan to install 25, 150-foot tall pylons near the village.
The structures would be twice as high as the 29 pylons already there, prompting fears they could cause cancer.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) plans to reinforce the transmissions network in north Argyll, including a new overhead cable linking the substation in Stronmilchan with a new substation near Cladich. SSEN is consulting communities around Dalmally, Kilchrenan, Portsonachan and Taynuilt next week on the proposed location of the new Creag Dhubh substation and the alignment of the new 275kV power line connecting Creag Dhubh and Dalmally.
Campaigners met last night (Wednesday March 14) in Dalmally Community Centre ‘to pull together responses, questions and opposition ideas’.
A leaflet posted to households said: ‘This will take the form of 25 pylons, twice as high as, and in addition to, the current monsters, passing as close as 50m to residential properties in Dalmally and Stronmilchan.’
The protesters fear the pylons will risk their health, negatively affect property prices, cause wildlife, tourism and livelihoods to suffer, and have a ‘staggeringly grotesque’ visual impact.
Glenorchy and Innishail Community Council secretary John Kerr said there is ‘great opposition’ to the ‘additional overhead high voltage line and pylons ‘oversailing’ Dalmally’.
‘One of the main concerns is health,’ he added, pointing to ‘several studies’ into childhood leukaemia ‘which show that a child, under 15, born within 600m of a high voltage line is roughly at double the risk of contracting leukaemia, than a child born outwith this distance’.
Mr Kerr also pointed to villagers’ worries when the first pylons were put in, citing a Guardian article from 1991 ‘specifically referring to “cells” of cancer deaths in Dalmally which lies under the existing Scottish Power high voltage connector between Cruachan and Glasgow’.
In it, Dalmally mum Eileen Mackay, who lived in Glenview estate, under a 275,000 volt electricity pylon, detailed all the cancer deaths from the same two streets in the last five years: ‘All the victims were in their 40s or 50s. There seems to have been up to nine cancers from 36 houses – a rate [she] regards as “astounding”.’
Cancer Research UK explained: ‘There is little strong evidence to link power lines to adult cancers or to most types of childhood cancer. But some studies have suggested a statistical link between exposure to magnetic fields and a higher risk of childhood leukaemia.
‘We don’t have enough convincing evidence to be sure whether the link is real, but if it were, the impact would be small – only around one per cent of childhood leukaemias.
Councillor Elaine Robertson told campaigners: ‘We share your concerns. To my knowledge the planning application has not been lodged yet. When it is, letters of objection from members of the local community, the community council and ward councillors can and, I am sure, will be lodged.’
Councillor Kieron Green added: ‘[I] am strongly advocating the option of an underground cable.’
SSEN’s lead project manager, Jean Lewis, said: ‘Our proposals to reinforce the network in North Argyll have been developed based on a balance of environmental, technical and economic considerations. Any views or concerns raised by the local community will be considered seriously as part of the ongoing development of the project and we would encourage anyone in the area with an interest in the project to come along to speak to us.’
An SSEN spokesperson added: ‘The impact of electric and magnetic fields will be considered as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment process to ensure the project will be well within limits set by the UK government.’
SSEN is holding consultation events next week, from 2-4pm, starting in Dalmally Community Centre on Monday March 19, followed by Kilchrenan Village Hall on Tuesday March 20, Portsonachan Village Hall on Wednesday March 21, and Taynuilt Village Hall on Thursday March 22.
The community council said that it was encouraging everyone to attend these consultations and ‘more importantly, respond’.