The public inquiry process into a controversial pylon line proposed for central Kirkcudbrightshire is under way.
Interested parties attended a pre-examination session on the Kendoon to Tongland Reinforcement Project in Kirkcudbright yesterday.
The meeting was presided over by reporter Katrina Rice, who was appointed by Scottish Ministers and brought together objectors, applicants SP Energy Networks, the council and Scottish Forestry.
The summit, in the Arden House Hotel, was solely to agree procedures and timescales for the inquiry, not to hear the merits of the proposal.
Those present included Galloway Against Pylons activists Paul Swift and Nancy Harrison, from Laurieston, and Stephen McLean, also of Laurieston.
Laura Moodie from Borgue and Bernhardt von Spreckelsen, the commercial rights holder of Slogarie Estate near Laurieston – which would be impacted by the line if constructed – also attended.
He told the inquiry: “I am developing a hyper luxury project and in an ideal world part of it would be situated at Slogarie.”
Ailsa Wilson QC represented the applicants and Peter Ferguson, a partner in solicitors Harper and MacLeod, was the council’s legal representative.
Andrew Kitching, woodland technical officer for the South of Scotland Conservancy, represented Scottish Forestry.
Setting the ground rules, Ms Rice said the applicant would be required to provide a response to each representation made in relation to the KTR project within two weeks.
“As quick a response as possible would be appreciated,” she told Ms Wilson, who replied that “was not feasible” given the scale of the task.
“I have asked for this information twice already,” Ms Rice said.
“The scope of evidence at the inquiry is clearly going to be related to the council’s views, the consultation responses that have been received and letters of representation.”
The provisional list of topics include technical justification for the project and economic justification for the project, “strategic alternatives including undergrounding and comparisons of benefits and harm, landscape, forestry, road and visual and socio-economic, tourism, recreational, traffic and transport, and nature conservation impacts.
The inquiry should also reference the effects on archaeology, water resources and local ecology, Ms Rice suggested.
Ms Wilson sought to exclude the technical justification from the inquiry because, she claimed, the Scottish Government classed the KTR as a national, not local, development under its national planning framework.
She also said as the National Grid and Ofgem had accepted the economic justification for the development that element should also be excluded.
“The applicant does not consider that those two topics require to be within the agenda,” she said.
All other parties present considered the technical justification should come under the inquiry.
Ms Rice will issue further guidance on procedures and timing within two weeks.
The inquiry is being held following an objection to the overhead power line from Dumfries and Galloway Council.
SPEN says the new pylons are urgently needed to replace ageing infrastructure and build resilience as more renewables-generated electricity comes on stream.
The public inquiry is expected to take place from mid-October to November.
