‘Shambles’ jibe as row rages over power line

The Scottish Government’s go-ahead for the Beauly-Denny power line last night was labelled “a shambles” as a row raged on over the failure to force a power company to bury two key sections in areas of outstanding natural beauty.

Ochil and South Perthshire Labour MP Gordon Banks and Stirling Labour MP Anne McGuire demanded a full explanation from Scottish Enterprise, Energy and Tourism Minister Jim Mather for ignoring a recommendation to withhold consent for the lengths in Crieff, Perthshire and Plean, Stirlingshire, pending proposals to put them underground.

It followed Mr Mather’s decision “in the national interest” to give Scottish and Southern Electric the go-ahead for the whole line, while requesting consideration of means of mitigation in the areas concerned. Liberal Democrat MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Danny Alexander said “serious questions” had been raised over whether the energy regulator Ofgem would sanction the extra cost to bury the power line when the minister had failed to make it an absolute condition of consent.

Last night Mr Banks published a letter sent to Mr Mather calling for clear answers “to the many unanswered questions relating to the SNP approval of the Beauly-Denny power line”.

He was “astounded and disappointed” by the decisions and demanded to know what powers a Community Liaison Group and Environmental Liaison Group the minister has proposed would have.

He said it was “astounding” that the inquiry reporter’s recommendation to withhold approval of the disputed sections to encourage under-grounding had been rejected.

Mrs McGuire said the minister’s performance explaining himself to the Scottish Parliament committee looking into the issue had been “shambolic” .