A HIGHLAND primary school that campaigned against a string of huge pylons has snubbed the energy giant behind the controversial project.
SSE asked Teanassie Primary School to star in a video about its network, including the huge Beauly-Denny power line.
But head teacher Alison Donald rejected the offer – a decision hailed by concerned parents, who branded the energy firm’s approach “disgusting”.
In 2005, Teanassie Primary, near Beauly, took part in protests against SSE’s 137-mile high-voltage line between the town and the central belt. The school also wrote a song asking for the cables to be buried rather than carried on 213ft pylons, setting the words to the Wombles theme tune.
SSE defended its video yesterday, saying the film was meant to be educational rather than promotional.
Parent Chantelle Morris, of Breakachy, whose daughter attends the school, said: “I’m disgusted that SSE thinks that it is OK to use children to promote their business, especially in a community who have proactively opposed many of SSE’s local projects.
“The Beauly to Denny line and these pointless windfarms are appearing everywhere thanks to SSE. So now they see it fit to ask children and schools to promote something that will have a negative impact on their environment and community?
“I commend Mrs Donald for rejecting SSE and hope that other schools and communities follow suit.”
Fellow Breakachy resident Ron McLaughlin, whose children were involved in the anti-pylon protests while at the school, said he was shocked by SSE’s approach and relieved it had been turned down.
He added: “The pupils from Teanassie school played a large part in this area opposing the Beauly-Denny line in late 2005.
“Either SSE has a very short memory or it is making a mockery of the very real concerns of children and teachers. To think that SSE wanted our local school to help in some way to promote its cause is beyond belief.”
Teanassie Parent Council chairman James Martin said: “The school was approached by SSE inviting some of the pupils to take part in promotional filming project in the local area.
“The head teacher brought the matter to the parent council and the issues around the sensitivities of the SSE’s involvement in the local community was discussed.
“Although their interest in the school was appreciated, it was felt that both the parent council and the school should take a position of neutrality and therefore decline the opportunity to take part in the filming.”
He said a local film-maker had offered to work with the pupils on a filming project thought to be “more worthwhile” as it would be led by the children.
An SSE spokeswoman said the film was educational, not promotional.
“We respect the fact some people don’t want to get involved,” she said.
The spokeswoman added: “The DVD is not focused on Beauly-Denny. It is focused on why we are having the upgrade to the network and what it is being used for.”
She said Teanassie was one of a number of schools across Scotland approached over the filming project and the resulting footage would be made into a series of videos for the firm’s website.
SSE was working closely with the local community on noise concerns at the Beauly substation, she added.