‘Speak up before it is too late’: Caithness campaigners warn of ‘fundamental transformation of our landscape’
Residents across Caithness are being urged to oppose large-scale energy projects that will “scar the landscape” while allegedly bringing no benefit to the area and having an unacceptable impact on communities.
The claims are made in a flyer produced by local campaigners and being delivered to thousands of addresses. The A4 double-sided document warns that massive substations and power lines will damage local businesses, destroy arable land, threaten wildlife and harm tourism while devaluing land and properties “by 50 per cent”.
The flyer features a colour-coded map showing the scale of existing and planned developments and alleges that community consultations are no more than “tick-box exercises” which ignore the voices of local people.
It is a collaboration between Lynn Parker, of the Dunbeath and Berriedale Community Say No to Pylons Action Group, and Kathrin Haltiner, who runs the Caithness Noticeboard group on Facebook and the Highland Renewables Database.
The flyer advises the public to “speak up” against the proposed 400kV Spittal/Beauly overhead line and object to “salami-slicing” planning applications.
In a joint statement, Ms Parker and Ms Haltiner said: “We took the decision to send the flyer to every household in Caithness because we believe the people of our community are not being told the full story regarding SSEN’s proposed infrastructure projects. In particular, the widely circulated claim that these developments will bring ‘thousands of jobs’ is, in our view, misleading.
“From what we understand, much of the labour will come from university students on placement and workers brought in from other regions of the UK. This narrative creates false hope and blindsides the local population into believing there will be significant, long-term employment benefits for Caithness residents.
“We felt it was our responsibility to ensure the public heard the other side – the side that often gets drowned out by corporate PR. The information currently reaching the public is heavily one-sided, and many are still unaware of the full scale and long-term implications of what is being proposed. We wanted to wake people up to the reality of what is coming to Caithness and the major impact these developments will have on our environment, our communities and our way of life.
“To achieve this, we printed and distributed 15,000 flyers at a cost of over £1000. While this was a significant outlay, we believe it was money well spent if it means people are better informed.
“We are also preparing an online objection form, which will be available through the Object Now platform. Paper copies will be made available for those who prefer them.
“It’s becoming increasingly clear to us that some councillors and planning officers are strongly promoting these developments without being fully transparent about the drawbacks. The public is told about the ‘benefits’ but not that the costs will fall on the shoulders of ordinary consumers and taxpayers. The real winners will be large energy developers and political stakeholders – not the communities who will bear the brunt of the environmental and social disruption.”
They hope their actions will encourage Highland Council’s north planning applications committee, and others, “to truly examine the consequences of these large-scale energy projects”.
Ms Parker and Ms Haltiner argue that elected representatives “need to start listening to the people they represent”. They go on: “The Highlands have already exceeded net-zero targets. Everything beyond this point appears to be surplus – raising serious questions about who truly benefits, and at what cost… All the electricity production encouraged with these new power lines up here will only generate more constraint payments – also paid for by the consumer.
“We sent the leaflet now because we’ve seen a dramatic escalation in scale. Projects like the 400kV overhead line from Spittal to Beauly and associated infrastructure like the Banniskirk substation are staggering in their footprint and implications – there are simply no words to describe the scale of what’s being proposed. The proposals represent a fundamental transformation of our landscape – one that will have irreversible consequences.
“We are not opposed to renewable energy. We are opposed to the scale, method and disregard with which it is being forced onto our communities. The people who live here must be allowed to shape the future of their own region.”
Ms Parker and Ms Haltiner hope more people will be encouraged to “ask questions, demand answers and speak up before it is too late”, adding: “Our aim is to protect what makes Caithness special – not just for us, but for future generations.”
SSEN Transmission pointed to a new report, commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Highlands and Islands Regional Economic Partnership, setting out “a once-in-a-generation opportunity” for the region with hundreds of projects worth up to £100bn capable of creating 18,000 jobs within 15 years.
“This expert report demonstrated that renewable energy is at the heart of economic opportunities in the north of Scotland,” a spokesperson for SSEN Transmission said. “And investment in the area’s electricity infrastructure is fundamental to making this happen.
“The proposed Spittal/Beauly overhead line and Banniskirk Hub projects will play a major role in helping to strengthen the country’s energy security and clean power targets, all while delivering significant benefits to the local economy through employment and supply chain opportunities for local people and businesses.
“This includes proposals to develop a new operational depot in the area that will house permanent members of staff, supporting the local economy for future generations – underlining our commitment to Caithness as a key contributor to national clean energy and energy security ambitions.
“Both the proposed Banniskirk Hub and Spittal/Beauly overhead line projects are part of our ambitious future investment plans for the north of Scotland electricity transmission network, which will support up to 8400 jobs in the north of Scotland, boosting the economy of the region by as much as £3bn.
“We understand the strength of feeling from some about our proposals and we would like to reassure community members and wider stakeholders we have worked hard to develop both projects as sensitively as possible, minimising and mitigating impacts wherever we can, to ensure we achieve the best balance from an environmental and technical perspective, all while taking account the important views of local people with whom we have consulted extensively throughout the development process.
“Investment in grid upgrades is vital to achieve long-term energy security that will limit exposure to volatile global fossil fuel markets, reduce the need for constraint payments by widening transmission capacity, and ultimately lead to more affordable and reliable clean energy for all.”