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‘Not over our school’: ‘Outrageous’ pylon plan for Drumoak slammed by locals

Community questions need for masts over homes and primary school.

Drumoak protestors.
Dozens turned out to protest against SSEN's plans outside Drumoak Primary School. Image: Anne Shearer.

An Aberdeenshire community has hit out at “outrageous” SSEN plans to build pylons in their local area, including next to a primary school.

Drumoak residents have come out fighting against the “crazy” and “horrible” proposals, which they say will wreak havoc on the village

The Kintore-Tealing 400kV project is part of SSEN’s £20 billion nationwide programme of transmission network upgrades to help meet renewable energy targets.

However, the scheme has already proved to be controversial in the north-east.

Earlier this month, the energy company announced plans to reroute the project in order to “reduce community impact”, which will now see the proposed substation being built at Fetteresso Forest.

One of the main issues of contention was that the pylons – which will be 188ft tall – would go through the Mearns, famous for being home to author Lewis Grassic Gibbon.

Pylons running through field.
If given the go-ahead, the pylons will go through Drumoak. Image: PA.

Campaign group Save our Mearns fought against the plans, citing environmental and cultural concerns.

However, it is now the turn of another campaign group – Deeside Against Pylons – to fight against the new proposals.

In August, over 50 people turned out in large numbers to protest against plans to put “monstrous” pylons in the Deeside area of Aberdeenshire, including Loch of Skene.

Their concern now is that the new route will come close to properties in Drumoak, as well as the primary school.

Drumoak pylon plan protest

At the weekend, dozens of school children and adults – armed with placards – attended a protest against the proposed route.

It was arranged by local resident and retired chartered engineer Anne Shearer, who said that “the local people are incredibly upset about this”.

Last week, there was a meeting between Crathes, Drumoak and Durris community councillors and SSEN, however, Mrs Shearer claims that there has been “no consultation” on the route, which officially began on December 1.

The community councillor said: “Through questioning, we discovered that this is the route as far as SSEN are concerned.

Anne Shearer standing in front of Park Bridge at side of River Dee.
Anne Shearer is shocked at SSEN’s proposals. Image: Scott Baxter/DC Thomson.

“Although they want to work with the community on it, we kind of thought that means where the line went, but it became apparent that it wasn’t about where the line went, it was just where the pylons went within the corridor.

“We’re very, very unhappy about this.

“Putting it over a settlement like Drumoak is just crazy, there is absolutely no reason to do that.”

Drumoak pylons ‘crazy’

Another concern that Mrs Shearer has is how close the pylons will be to the trees at Old Wood of Drum – a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) – which she claims will be “dwarfed” by them.

With the North Sea being home to a number of offshore windfarms, she said that it is “absolutely obvious” that instead of onshore pylons, SSEN should be running these as subsea ones in the north-east, but said they are not due to it costing more.

“In this part of the country, we’ve a huge offshore expertise and technology and subsea infrastructure and equipment. There’s absolutely no reason on earth why this cannot be run offshore, it’s by far the most sensible thing to do,” she said.

Mrs Shearer also told The P&J that building the “humungous” pylons will have a negative impact on Scotland’s international reputation for wild beauty, calling the project in its current form as “totally wrong” and as “destroying our natural heritage”.

Outside of Drumoak Primary School.
The planned route would see pylons built near Drumoak Primary School.

Kirsty Bailie, who lives just outside of Drumaok and has three children at the school, said she understands the need to move to greener energy, but said that the whole idea is “horrible”.

“What I don’t understand is, these pylons shouldn’t be near anyone’s dwelling or home or school or village, because they’ll just be so massive. They’ll just ruin whatever landscape they’re on, whatever the route is if they’re overhead,” she said.

Mrs Bailey’s father owns a nearby farm and she is also worried the effect that the pylons will have on his land, as well as on the sheep he breeds.

Describing the whole process as “frustrating and disappointing”, she said that it feels like the plans have been “kind of foisted on us” by SSEN, describing it as “poorly managed”, as she only got a letter about it on November 30.

New route ‘represents a balance of numerous constraints’

Like Mrs Shearer, she has called for the pylons to be put offshore and said: “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly.”

A spokeswoman for SSEN said: “After comprehensive route planning and extensive consultation with communities and other stakeholders earlier this year, we are making a change to the initially preferred route for the Kintore to Tealing 400kV scheme.

“The option being taken forward, which includes a new 2.5km section of route that connects the two initially proposed routes near Drumoak, represents a balance of numerous constraints in the area and considers community and environmental impact too.”

Results of the consultation will be announced in spring next year.

Conversation