SSEN pylon plans in Aberdeenshire re-routed

04/12/2023

CAMPAIGNERS across Aberdeenshire and Angus have won their battle with SSEN to re-route a controversial pylon project.

The new plans will take the pylons further away from surrounding towns after a consultation period on the East Coast 400kV project, Kintore to Tealing.

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The firm has said the changes will “reduce community impact”, while a proposed substation will be re-located from Fiddes to Fetteresso Forest.

Senior project manager Calum Grant thanked those who took part in the consultation, and told the BBC the feedback was “instrumental in informing the changes to our proposals”.

He said: “The overhead line routes we are now taking forward to route alignment and our proposed substation locations seek to balance environmental and technical constraints alongside minimising community impacts.

“Recognising the strength of feeling amongst some individuals and communities, we have worked extremely hard to identify an alternative substation site to Fiddes, as well as several changes to our previously consulted on preferred overhead line routes, to help reduce community, environmental and cultural heritage impacts.”

The changes to the plans follows the firm saying it’s recruiting 400 new roles across the north of Scotland over the next 12 months.

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