| October 2008 - SSE's Application to Construct the Western Isles Connection |
| SSE have submitted applications for consent to construct a subsea and underground cable to link the Isle of Lewis to the mainland grid at Beauly. See our News page for our present view on this development. |
| Please note that the information on this page is in the process of being updated. |
| Western Isles Connection |
| At present we are studying the documents associated with the application, which are available on SSE's website, and we will post detailed comment as soon as possible. |
| Summary |
| The aplication put forward by SSE is for an undersea cable from the Western Isles to Dundonnell, in Little Loch Broom which is just south of Ullapool. From Dundonnell, the cable would go underground all the way to Beauly. |
| However, there are several factors that could rule out the preferred option of an underground cable, and in this case SSE would revert to their original plan of a high voltage overhead line on large scale pylons stretching from Ardmair (just north of Ullapool) to Beauly. |
| HBP's View |
| Whilst we welcome the fact that SSE have listened to concerns about the impact of overhead lines, we remain convinced that the best options are being ignored. |
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First and foremost, we believe that it makes no sense to build industrial scale power stations in places far removed from the places where the electricity is used. We fully recognise the need to take action to reduce carbon emissions, and combat global warming. Our alternative strategies are set out in our submission to the Beauly to Denny Public Inquiry, and also our briefing notes. In essence, we promote increased use of energy efficiency and local energy production. Large scale renewable energy developments should be offshore, and linked to areas of demand using subsea cables. | |
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If, against the wishes of local people, large scale wind farms are built on the Western Isles, we believe that the best option for getting the electricity south is a subsea cable all the way to England, where the power will ultimately be used. Failing this, a link to the central belt of Scotland would be better than taking the power to Beauly, and then south on overhead lines. | |
| Beauly to Denny 400kV Transmission Line - and Beyond |
| The Background |
| The plan to construct a new 400kV transmission line from Beauly to Denny is of great importance to our campaign. It is the possibility of a 400kV substation at Beauly that leads Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission Ltd (SHETL) to propose an overhead line from Ullapool to Beauly as a means of connecting proposed windfarms on the Western Isles to the mainland grid. Beauly would become a northern hub in the grid, with lines feeding in from far and wide. |
| The Beauly to Denny line is also worthy of consideration in its own right, with the proposed new pylons being twice the height, or more, of those on the existing 132kV line. If given the go ahead, this line will pass through some of Scotland's most important scenic areas, such as the Cairngorms National Park. It will also have a much greater direct effect on people, with the high voltage line passing close to houses - too close in our view, considering the health risks of such power lines. |
| The Public Inquiry |
| ThePublic Inquiry into proposals for a new power line from Beauly to Denny has now concluded. A report on the inquiry will be passed to Scottish Ministers, who will then make a decision on whether consent to construct the line will be granted |
| Highlands Before Pylons helped to put the case against the need for line in association with other groups in the Scotland Before Pylons alliance, and also with the Beauly to Denny Landscape Group. This latter group consists of: |
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The John Muir Trust |
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The National Trust for Scotland |
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The Ramblers Association Scotland |
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The Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland |
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Scottish Wild Land Group |
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The Mountaineering Council of Scotland | |
| Read the full arguments against the line in HBP's Statement of Case. |
| The Current Situation |
| Plans to build the new 400kV overhead line were submitted to the Scottish Executive for their consideration in October 2005. A period of consultation with the public and various other organisations followed, in which around 19,000 letters of objection were received by the Executive. In March 2006, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) registered their objection to large parts of the plans. By April, all regional Councils along the line had lodged formal objections with the Executive, and as noted above, a Public Inquiry was held in 2007, to examine certain aspects of the proposal. |
| The level of public and official objection being voiced is welcome news, but beyond the Public Inquiry lies the fact that expenditure on transmission lines is controlled by Ofgem, and ultimately the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and UK government, who set the rules that the industry operates under. Highland Council will campaign for more expenditure to be allowed to enable undergrounding of parts of the Beauly to Denny line. However, these rules apply equally to the construction of all power lines, and we will be campaigning on the fundamental principle that more money should be spent on the use of alternative technologies that can avoid some or all of the environmental, social and health costs of overhead high voltage power lines. |
| How to Help |
| Whilst the Public Inquiry has closed, you can still let politicians know your view on pylon developments generally. We ask all to join with us and other organisations mentioned above, in asking Ofgem and the DTI to allow more to be spent on all relevant transmission projects, including the Beauly to Denny line, so as to enable less damaging alternative technologies to be used, such as undersea and underground cables. |
| Key points that you might mention: |
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The need to recognise the environmental, social, and health costs associated with overhead high voltage transmission lines, in addition to the purely financial costs to the consumer. | |
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The need to allow the industry to spend more on transmission upgrades, using underground and undersea cables, so as to avoid the unnecessary impacts of overhead lines. | |
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The need for the industry to take greater account of these factors at an early stage in their planning of grid upgrades. | |
| More detailed information on the above can be found in our briefing notes. |
| Please write to: |
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Secretary of State for Energy |
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The Department of Trade and Industry |
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1 Victoria Street |
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London |
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SW1H 0ET |
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Ofgem |
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9 Millbank |
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London |
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SW1P 3GE |
| Major Wind Farms Proposed for the Isle of Lewis |
| Highlands before Pylons is not opposed to wind farms in general. However, the scale of the proposals, which are wholly inappropriate on the Isle of Lewis, and the siting of the developments within highly important areas for nature conservation, not to mention scenic beauty, lead us to support the people of Lewis and Harris in their campaign against the schemes. We therefore encourage all to take action, and to write a letter of objection to the industrial scale windfarms proposed on Lewis. |
| It is notable that the above schemes are intimately linked with the transmission line proposals that are affecting the Highlands, and that there are strong arguments that the environmental impact of the wind farm and the whole of the transmission infrastructure should be considered together. As things stand, the windfarms are considered separately from the long distance power lines, despite the fact that the windfarms cannot proceed without the transmission link to the mainland. When you write opposing the windfarms, we hope that you will point out this anomaly, and mention opposition to pylons spanning the Highlands as part of your reason for objecting to the windfarm. |
| Members of the Scottish and Westminster Parliaments |
| Ultimately, the decision on the Western Isles transmission link will be made by the Scottish Executive. However, for our overall campaign issues, both Scottish and Westminster parliaments are generally relevant. |
| Who to Write To |
| NB: Update of this information is in progress - please check addresses before writing, thank you. |
| Please write to your MSP and MP. |
| If you live outside of Scotland, or the UK, please write to: |
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Alex Salmond MSP |
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First Minister |
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The Scottish Parliament |
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Edinburgh |
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EH99 1SP |
| Please also write to the MSP and MP for the area covered by the Ullapool to Beauly proposal: |
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John Farquhar Munro MSP |
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The Scottish Parliament, |
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Edinburgh, |
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EH99 1SP |
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john.munro.msp@scottish.parliament.uk |
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Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP |
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The House of Commons |
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London |
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SW1A 0AA |
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kennedyc@parliament.uk |
| Page last updated 27 October 2008 |