Too Well Connected?
Interesting times in the Highlands. Life there these days might give a Highlander an inkling of how it felt to be an citizen of the sub-continent in the C18th Century. - for the East India Company, read Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks. All levels of Government - Westminster, Holyrood, local council - appear to have been occupied by SSE, its subsidiary SSEN and its cohort of allied BESS, wind turbine and other 'green' energy developers. While they're busy changing the Electricity Act in Westminster to excise any part in the planning process for Scottish local democracy, they're giving kiddies wind turbines to play with in primary schools. From top to bottom, at all levels of society, the big green tentacles are wriggling. And maybe at Community Council level too.
The douce little village of Beauly in Inverness-shire, gateway to National Scenic Area of Glen Affric, is threatened by a multiple whammy of energy developments. Already living next to the debilitating buzz of a massive sub-station at next door Wester Balblair, the village's serenity is endangered by not four but five more horsemen of the Apocalypse: yet another line of mega-pylons, this time from Spittal to Blackhills; a BESS battery plant at Wester Balblair (consented); a further application for a 100MW BESS at Dunballoch Farm, on prime agricultural ground right next to the River Beauly; an 800 acre second substation at Fanellan; and scoping for thirty-six 230 metre turbines (5m shorter than the 1 Canada Square tower at Canary Wharf) and attendant BESS on the Farley and Urchany braes above.
In the face of these threats, there has been concerted and vociferous opposition from three of the affected community councils - Killtarlity, Kirkhill and Kilmorack - and from CB4PC, a well-supported pressure group. But from Beauly Community Council, which houses the most residents and businesses in the area, there has been very little concern shown. Procedural engagement has been evident, but little of the passion you might expect in response to such a clear and imminent threat. When a local councillor proposed that The Highland Council put together a map showing all alternative energy developments and associated infrastructure in the Highlands, 59 community councils supported the move off the bat. Beauly was the last, seemingly reluctant signatory. It would have looked odd, wouldn't it, if Beauly hadn't signed?
The chair of Beauly Community Council is vacant but it is vice-chaired by Jane Cumming who has been connected with a firm called Platform PR in the past. Under 'who we've helped' Platform currently lists Scottish & Southern Energy, Falck Renewables and Viking Energy amongst others. Her current PR venture JMC Communications (www.jmccomms.co.uk) is a very low key operation as regards divulging its clients. Here's how the partners describe the business: ‘We have particular expertise in aquaculture, renewable energy and infrastructure projects. We’ve managed many community consultations to support a wide and diverse range of developments – from a pumped storage hydro scheme to a new town.'
Ms Cumming's position as vice-chair of the community council begs a question. Has she shown her fellow community councillors a list of current clients in the businesses which employ her, just so everything is out in the open and everyone can see there is no conflict of interest? She may well have done, but if so, it doesn't appear to be on record. If she hasn't perhaps she should do so now, just so Beauly knows everything is whiter than white which is more important under the circumstances than being greener than green.
For many expressing opinions on the local networks, it seems no blood money in compensation from SSEN could ever be enough to pay for the ruination of the environment around and within one of Scotland's loveliest little villages. And no one would want there to be any misunderstanding as to why Beauly is so slow to combat what is probably the biggest threat to the village since Oliver Cromwell pillaged its stone for his fort in Inverness.
