Controversial powerline from Highlands to Aberdeenshire blocked by council in 'significant' move
SSEN has faced lengthy consultation periods and mounting objections to its grid infrastructure plans.
A council has objected to a controversial overhead powerline planned to stretch from the Highlands to the north east.
The 400kV Beauly to Peterhead line, spanning 115 miles (186km), forms part of the Scottish and Southern Energy Network’s (SSEN) £22bn Pathway to 2030 programme.
The development is designed to deliver upgrades to the electricity transmission system across the UK, and is aimed at meeting clean power and energy security targets.
Rural communities living along the proposed route have pushed back against the plans saying the development will spoil scenic areas, affect cultural sites and have a detrimental impact on forestry and wildlife.
At a Moray Council meeting on Tuesday, councillors voted to nine to four against the controversial powerline.
The decision whether or not to proceed with the plans sits with Scottish Ministers who, in multiple cases across Scotland, have bypassed local authorities’ formal objections to significant energy projects and approved them.
For the Beauly to Peterhead line, three new substations would be built as well as the overhead line, with convertor stations also constructed at either end.
SSEN said the need for the project had already been independently assessed and approved by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and energy regulator, Ofgem.
The section 37 application comes following a number of consultation events, which the energy distribution company described as "one of the biggest public consultation exercises the north of Scotland has ever seen."
As part of the proposal, the existing 132kV overhead line that runs from Beauly to Knocknagael would be removed.
A spokesperson for SSEN said: "While we are naturally disappointed by this decision, which goes against the council Planning Officer’s recommendation, we will continue to work with the local authority, local stakeholders and the wider community as the process moves forward.
“The project has been developed in line with all relevant policies and legislation, balancing key community and environmental considerations with technical and economic factors.
"The Beauly – Peterhead project represents a critical step towards securing clean, affordable power for families across the country. It will help reduce reliance on imported energy from overseas, remove grid bottlenecks, and strengthen energy security at a time when security and affordability matter most.”
The objection from the Conservative-led council won support from local MSPs.
Tim Eagle MSP (Conservative), who is also a farmer, said: “This significant objection marks an important milestone for our rural communities across Moray.
“I am delighted Moray Council, led by the Conservative administration, has listened to the views of its residents by standing firm against these plans.
“From homes being devalued and the impact on people’s health, to the loss of prime agricultural land and the blight on our landscape, these proposals have caused widespread concern, with people feeling distant from the planning process.”
It comes after Highland Council lodged an eight-page objection to SSEN’s Spittal, in Caithness, to Beauly powerline a few weeks ago. Councillors cited concerns over transport impact, noise, road network strain from construction traffic.
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