Our Press Release - 28th April 2023
BEAULY DESCRIBED AS ‘DEATH BY LOCATION’ AS SSEN STAFF PARTY
Hundreds of concerned residents filed into Beauly’s Phipps Hall on Thursday 27th April to hear about SSEN’s latest infrastructure plans. The mood was sombre as residents contemplated details of the energy giant’s proposals which will industrialise the countryside around Beauly, the Aird and beyond and ruin homes and businesses. One SSEN employee indiscreetly described Beauly’s plight as ‘death by location’. This follows a previous comment by them that Beauly would become like ‘spaghetti junction’ with all SSEN’s proposed transmission lines.
Meanwhile that same evening, in stark contrast to the mood of the meeting, around a dozen members of the SSEN community liaison team were reportedly spotted laughing, cheering and ordering successive rounds of drinks in a city bar.
Their celebrations could certainly be viewed as insensitive by residents, some of whom were close to tears as they left SSEN’s exhibition.
The statutory meeting was one of a series called by SSEN to inform the public about the pylon line planned to go from Beauly to Peterhead.
Communities B4 Power Companies (CB4PC) had a peaceful presence for the duration of the meeting to give information to visitors about their campaign. Spokeswoman Lyndsey Ward said: “We had great support from the vast majority who attended and they were happy to sign our petition to stop SSEN. We were surprised to be visited twice by the police and to also be reported for blocking a fire exit, which we were not. We can only imagine who thought it appropriate to have police attend a community gathering. Perhaps it was SSEN concerned that their catastrophic plans would invoke high emotions from those about to have their lives turned upside down. I was told by a furious builder that SSEN had cost him £22,000 in lost work as an extension he had been booked for was suddenly cancelled due to the close proximity of the pylon lines. How many others will lose thousands of pounds in lost work, from their business and in property values as wealthy multinational SSEN boosts the coffers of its shareholders? Shareholders who are disconnected from the Highlands and will never have to live with the steel monstrosities their investment company has forced upon innocent Highlanders and their homes’.
Followers of CB4PC’s Facebook page has rapidly grown to over 1300 as the campaign group attracts support from up and down the Highlands and across to Peterhead. ‘We have pressure groups from the proposed Spittal to Beauly pylon route joining us and now calls coming from places like Turriff in Aberdeenshire,’ said Ms Ward. She predicts that the group and campaign will continue to grow as people realise the extent of the development proposals.
CB4PC is fighting the building of three pylon lines and infrastructure including a 60 acre substation at Kiltarlity on the basis of there being no proven need for the electricity that they would carry. Local councillors and MSPs are being kept informed of evidence as it is uncovered by the group.
Ends
28th April 2023
