Mearns MSP meets with concerned residents over SSEN’s Fiddes substation plans

Angus North Mearns MSP Mairi Gougeon said it is not clear alternative options have been considered by SSEN.

By Cameron Roy

June 8 2023, 6:19 pm

Mairi Gougeon MSP meets with the Stop Fiddes Substation Group. Image: Mairi Gougeon.

Mairi Gougeon MSP for Angus North and Mearns has met with concerned residents over SSEN’s Fiddes substation plans.

The MSP, who is the cabinet secretary for rural affairs, land reform and islands, met with residents directly impacted by the proposals.

It involves building a 120-acre substation at Fiddes, which will be the same size as the Blackhillock substation near Keith, which was the largest substation in the UK when it was built in 2019.

The building site has attracted controversy after it was revealed the building site is on the doorstep of the previous home of famous author Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s Mearns home.

His novels, which included Scottish classic Sunset Song have been described as a “portrait of Aberdeenshire”, and were often the scene of lavish descriptions of the unspoiled Mearns countryside.

The area where the substation is planned to will run from the turbine on the left all the way to the brown field on the right. Image: Darrell Benns/ DC Thomson.

There will also be a 188ft pylon line between substations at Kintore, Fiddes, and Tealing which has also attracted opposition.

SSEN has stressed its plans remain in the early stages of development with no specific substation sites of pylon routes identified yet.

What was discussed at the Mearns meeting?

Ms Gougeon said the meeting was called to discuss the significant concerns of the local community in relation to SSEN’s plans as residents are “still only just discovering” the plans due to the electricity firm’s “poor engagement strategy”.

The MSP said she has taken action to ensure residents are fully informed with a targeted mail drop planned to provide information about the proposals and the consultation process which ends on June 23.

This meeting comes after a meeting with the Save Our Mearns group where she pledged to work alongside Tory MP Andrew Bowie to ensure SSEN understands the strength of feeling in the area.

Tory MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine Andrew Bowie and SNP MSP for Angus North and Mearns Mairi Gougeon attended an open meeting in Laurencekirk on Saturday, May 27. Image: Iana Chtefan.

A farming couple who live nearby the proposed Fiddes substation told The Press and Journal SSEN threatened to compulsory purchase their land after they refused to sell.

Alternative substation options not given ‘serious consideration’ by SSEN

Ms Gougeon said it is clear SSEN need to understand the concerns of those impacted by the proposals and “do much better”.

She said: “Every day I am being contacted by more and more people who are only just hearing about the plans, not from SSEN but because of social media and recent press coverage. This simply isn’t good enough.

“This is a beautiful part of the world and whilst energy infrastructure is needed, alternative options must be considered. It’s not clear that any alternatives have been given serious consideration by SSEN.

SSEN’s proposals for east coast infrastructure. Image: SSEN.

“I will be meeting with SSEN in the coming week to put the concerns raised with me directly to them and to ask SSEN to meaningfully engage with the people and communities who will be impacted by their proposals.”

Alternatives raised by the community include burying the power lines instead of building large pylons.

‘We are against the mentality that SSEN can do whatever they like’

Commenting on behalf of the Fiddes group, Rebecca Chapman, said: “We want to make clear that this community is not against the 400kv project, we understand it needs to happen.

“What we are against is this mentality that SSEN can do whatever they like. That they can take whatever land they want, and communities must sit back and watch the lives they have worked so hard for be destroyed.

Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s childhood home Bloomfield Steading could soon have a massive substation nearby. Image: Dorothy Clark.

“Especially when an alternative site, which affects no one, is available.

“This Fiddes substation, which isn’t in Fiddes, but Arbuthnott, goes against everything SSEN say they wouldn’t do to communities like demolishing families’ homes, decimating prime agricultural land and destroying historical sites.

“We cannot simply stand back and let SSEN bulldoze their way through this land. Because once they do, we can never get it back.”

SSEN delivers electricity to 740,000 customers in Scotland and plans to build the infrastructure over the next seven years.

SSEN has stressed the project remains in the early stages of development and no specific overhead line routes or substations have been identified.

The electricity giant, part of the SSE group based in Perth, insists the proposals are necessary to enable the connection of renewable energy to fight against climate change.

They have said they appreciate the concerns of the communities impacted by the works and are committed to “working constructively to find a solution that works best for all stakeholders”.

SSEN has been contacted to comment further.