SSEN Transmission’s Fanellan substation plan near Beauly prompts fears and divided views in community
As tourists flock to Beauly making the most of the warm weather and visiting places such as the ancient Priory, it is not only the temperature which is on the rise.
Tensions are growing amid a heated debate over controversial plans to build a giant electricity substation three miles outside the village.
SSEN Transmission, which has submitted a planning application for a 400kV substation and converter station at Fanellan, says the project will play a major role in supporting national energy security and clean power targets.
But it has prompted alarm and anger not only among residents living near the 868-acre site but also in the surrounding communities and further afield, citing a range of concerns including the industrialisation of a rural area and the impact during construction such as the increased numbers of HGVs and potential to deter tourists.
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In a demonstration of opposition, residents in Kiltarlity turned out in force to a public meeting last month and voted unanimously for their community council to oppose the plans.
Beauly Community Council, which has been taking soundings from residents, is organising a public meeting on May 26 before submitting its response.
But the undercurrents of division on what the community’s position should be are spilling out with increasingly acrimonious comments being exchanged via social media.
One thing on which everyone agrees is that the volume of traffic in Beauly will increase during construction - some calculate it will be one HGV every minute although others maintain this is an overestimate.
William Crawford, chairman of Beauly Business Group, said: “There is certainly division of opinion.
“Some think it will be great for jobs and great for the village - that it will be like when Nigg Fabrication yard was built and the buzz it created in places such as Invergordon.
“But others see the negatives as being so enormous.”
He has been trying to educate himself on SSEN’s planning application, wading through thousands of pages of technical documents and likens it to a David and Goliath battle.
“Initially, my view was more ambivalent but the more I look at it, the more I think it isn’t good for Beauly,” he said.
“The thing which is concerning most people, even those who are supportive, is the amount of traffic.
“It is not just the HGVs but all the vans, buses and cars which are going to be going up there.”
When other planned projects such as battery storage schemes, wind turbines and powerlines were factored in, the cumulative impact would be even greater, he said.
Other concerns included the potential damage to historic buildings in a conservation area, existing issues of poor and broken drainage systems, the potential for disruption during events such as the Black Isle Show and the Belladrum Festival and worker accommodation during construction.
Mr Crawford said some people believed that the substation would go ahead and the community should be negotiating for the best possible compensation deal for Beauly but personally he felt this could be a misguided approach.
At family-run country tailor and outfitters, Campbell’s of Beauly, director Nicola Sugden is concerned about the impact from more traffic - both from a business perspective and as the mother of three young children - and also worries tourists will be put off visiting the village and go elsewhere.
The store is a well-known landmark building with original fixtures and fittings dating back to 1858.
“We are a heritage building with a listed window” she said.
“I know about the shaking and shuddering you experience on High Street from the timber lorries.”
She fears drivers will divert along the quiet back roads to avoid the congested main road and adds: “It is already tricky trying to get out on to High Street but I think with all the additional traffic, the feeder roads will be a nightmare.”
Sarah Marr, of Iain Marr Antiques, feels the plans pose a serious threat to Beauly’s local economy and way of life.
“The cumulative effect of large-scale energy projects risks industrialising the Highlands, replacing the natural beauty with noise, congestion and pollution,” she said.
“Beauly’s businesses will severely struggle to absorb this blow.
“This development is short-sighted, and would cause lasting harm to our community.”
Kilmorack Gallery, housed in a former 18th century church, is located at the heart of various planned electricity infrastructure projects including Fanellan.
In an appeal urging people to register their opposition to the plans, owner Tony Davidson said: “The proposed Fanellan Substation will destroy an ancient place.
“Its first phase will bring 88 acres of buzzing electrical junk and a further 800 acres of car parks and accommodation to what was home to early Christian saint, Telorgain (and Kilmorack's Morock.)
“It will remove much of Ruttle Wood, and destroy the character of Beauly, Kiltarlity and the glens.”
Beauly Community Council, which comprises volunteers, said it was important to get the views of everyone not just those who shouted the loudest.
“It is a massive project for us as a small community,” vice chairman Jane Cumming said.
“We have a very robust process in place and will continue to gauge the views of people.”
She said there were mixed opinions but the main concern was the traffic impact if it goes ahead.
“It is going to be a big and long project,” she said.
“We need to make sure we ask for as much to be done as possible for the village.”
A spokesperson for SSEN Transmission said: “We acknowledge that there will be a degree of disruption during the construction phase and wish to reassure the Beauly community that, if we are successful in achieving planning consent, we will work towards producing detailed traffic management measures that enables construction to take place in a way that keeps this to a minimum.”
It has submitted an initial construction traffic management plan which would be developed in conjunction with Highland Council and other key stakeholders to manage and mitigate vehicle movements at key points of the day including school start and finishing times.
The company said it would also work with the local community to minimise traffic movements when there events such as the Black Isle Show, Highland Cross and Belladrum.
Representatives from SSEN will attend a meeting organised by Beauly Community Council on May 26 when they will give a presentation and answer questions and receive feedback
“We trust that this process of engagement – rather than any speculation about the project and its traffic impacts - will be helpful to everyone concerned, first and foremost the local community,” the spokesperson said.
They added: “Investing to upgrade our electricity transmission network is a major driver of jobs and economic activity locally and across the north of Scotland.
“Our proposed Fanellan substation development is a big part of that, and we want businesses in Beauly to benefit from the significant opportunities our investment will bring to the maximum possible extent, from local jobs and opportunities for local businesses to the increased footfall and significant spending power that this infrastructure project will bring to the area.”
