Scotland’s energy minister has never met any of the 20 north-east community groups along the 400kV Kintore to Tealing route, it has emerged.
SSEN Transmission is planning a corridor of giant pylons and substations between Aberdeenshire and Angus, in order to connect offshore wind energy to the grid.
The 70-mile, 400kV line will contribute to the Scottish Government’s 2030 carbon net zero road map — but the overland route has been criticised by campaigners who have called for underground or marine transmission as the default.
Busloads of campaigners from across the north and north-east of Scotland demonstrated outside the Scottish Parliament on May 2, 2024.
Most of the groups have asked SNP Aberdeenshire East MSP Gillian Martin to correspond with them over fears the route will over-industrialise communities along the path of pylons, substations and turbines.
And First Minister John Swinney said he was “sure” she would meet campaigners.
Now, Scottish parliamentary answers have revealed Ms Martin has not met any of the 13 affected community councils or seven local campaign groups along the route. She says she “currently has no plans to meet” the community councils either.
Scottish Conservative shadow energy secretary Douglas Lumsden said residents along the Kintore to Tealing route did not feel like there was “a just transition.”
And he claimed the Scottish Government has “egged on” UK Labour plans to void the automatic right of councils to public appeal when it comes to energy infrastructure.
Mr Lumsden said: “Gillian Martin needs to stop hiding behind her job title. The First Minister said he was ‘sure ministers would be happy to meet campaigners.’ The ministerial code means she would be careful about engagement – not running away from it.
“It is now much easier and less expensive to underground lines or have them out at sea. That should be part of the offer on the table from SSEN. But these communities feel as if the original, unvarnished plan is being railroaded through.
“And now, UK Labour are about to bin the last bit of local democratic protection Scots will have — egged on by the SNP. The buck will stop with the Scottish Government’s energy consents unit, not with councils. And we all know how that will go.”
A petition to the Scottish Parliament noting “serious concerns about the quality and transparency of the public consultation” has already received more than 3,500 signatures since it was lodged on April 10.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “No application for consent has yet been received by Scottish Ministers.
“The most appropriate way for members of the public and communities potentially affected to make their views known at this stage is to engage directly with SSEN who are responsible for developing their proposals before submitting an application.
“When an application is received, a full public consultation is carried out, and Scottish Ministers invite representations from members of the public and consult the appropriate community councils, alongside other public bodies.
“Potential impacts on communities, nature, and cultural heritage, including the cumulative effects of developments, are important considerations in the decision-making process.”
Get all the latest Aberdeen news and headlines sent straight to your inbox by signing up to our free newsletter.
From breaking news in and around the city, to traffic and travel and health, we’ve got you covered.
The manually created newsletter arrives every day at around 4pm, giving you a round up of the most important stories we’ve covered that day.
To sign up, simply click this link here.
And if you aren’t already, make sure you join the conversation over on our Facebook Groups and Aberdeen Live Instagram.
A spokesperson for SSEN Transmission said: “We have consulted extensively with local communities in relation to the Kintore to Tealing project, resulting in significant changes to our proposals, including alternative overhead line routes and the relocation of the previously proposed new substation at Fiddes to a new proposed site in Fetteresso Forest.
“So far across our Pathway to 2030 programme, we’ve invited nearly 300,000 people to our consultation events, holding more than 220 events and public meetings, which have been attended by more than 10,000 people.
“As part of this, we have received and analysed over 12,000 written responses in what we believe is one of the biggest listening exercises the north and northeast of Scotland has ever seen.
“In the coming months, we’ll submit Section 37 consent applications for the proposed overhead line routes we are seeking to deliver as part of our ‘Pathway to 2030’ investment programme, including the Kintore to Tealing 400kV overhead line project.
“These applications will then be thoroughly consulted on and considered by the Scottish Government, in line with the long-established determination process for Section 37 consent applications.
“Investing to upgrade our electricity transmission network is crucial if we are to achieve the country’s energy security and clean power objectives; it’s also a major driver of jobs and economic activity across the north of Scotland and carries with it an opportunity for substantial housing and community benefit legacies.”