Relief as Keiss is ruled out for power plant site

RESIDENTS in Keiss have welcomed confirmation that the village is no longer being looked at as a potential site for a new electricity switching station.

There had been a major backlash over SHE Transmission’s outline interest in ground at Longreen for the new plant, which is part of the upgrade of the National Grid to pave the way for the large-scale green energy schemes due to come on stream in the far north over the next decade.

At a Sinclair Bay Community Council meeting, it was said if the green light was given for Scottish and Southern Energy’s (SSE) plans, it would turn Keiss into a ghost village. Locals claimed environmental and health misgivings about the development would leave the village devastated as residents moved out.

The community councillors were convinced SSE had its sights set on ground at Longreen, less than a mile from the village. They also claimed the switching station would be a danger to youngsters as the electro-magnetic field it would generate has been linked to cancer and leukaemia in children.

Terry Mason (64), of Heatherbell Cottage, Keiss previously said he would be forced to move if the project went ahead.

He said: “This is the first night we’ve had a good night’s sleep. The community council phoned us over the weekend and told us.

“I still don’t trust SSE, though. I would have thought the property they have there would have been put up for sale. Until we find out they’ve done that, I won’t trust the situation.”

Mr Mason said there are around 20 houses in the area, six of which would be very close to the three 30-feet high buildings which he said SSE had planned to put up.

“We’ve done a lot of research into the project,” said Mr Mason. “There’s no way I would have lived with the noise round us as they give out a permanent hum.

“We’re so pleased with the decision. We just hope we’ve not been led up the garden path, but some poor person is going to have it near them.”

Mr Mason added: “Thank goodness for the help we’ve had from the community council. They and the Keiss community worked so hard.

“We’ve all been green with this and it’s been a big learning curve, but I’m so glad we’ve actually got our home and we can stay there instead of having to move.”

Since mid-2012, the transmission company has been investigating site options for a plant which would allow proposed high voltage direct current (HVDC) cables from Shetland, Moray and Spittal to be connected.

The development would significantly reinforce the transmission network serving the north of Scotland and help provide the capacity needed for renewable energy generators, including the sub-sea turbines in the Pentland Firth and Orkney waters.

Late last year, the scope of the proposed switching station was reduced to focus on connecting the three HVDC cables currently planned, with provision for a single further link to a separate site should further cables be required in future. Previously, space for possible future connections had been sought on a single site.

This change resulted in the introduction of further potential sites and these have been assessed over recent months.

SHE Transmission is now investigating sites close to the consented Noss to Spittal cable route and, in particular, land near the proposed HVDC cable landfall at Noss Head.

Liaison manager Gavin Steel said: “We want to let the community know there’s been a change in the scope of the project.

“The focus has shifted away from the Keiss area towards sites closer to the consented cable routes that we have around the Noss to Spittal areas.

“The site selection process is still on-going, but we are no longer needing as large a site as before because we are no longer considering future expansion of the site.”

Mr Steel said it is hoping to have firmed up a preferred site by the end of summer, after which it would embark on a fresh round of public consultations.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.