Council drops Kendoon to Tongland pylon opposition

A council has dropped its opposition to plans to replace 27 miles (43km) of overhead power lines in south-west Scotland ahead of a public inquiry.

It will now be up to the Scottish government's Energy Consents Unit to decide whether the hearing goes ahead.

Dumfries and Galloway Council went against planning officer advice to oppose the Kendoon to Tongland scheme.

However, it has now concluded that its concerns about the impact on regional scenic areas (RSA) have been addressed.

It is the latest twist in a lengthy planning saga for the proposal by Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN).

The lines connect five hydro-electric powers stations that serve Dumfries and Galloway and Ayrshire with electricity.

The network was originally constructed in the 1930s and is considered to be at the end of its life.

SPEN has been consulting on the plans through southern Scotland for several years.

The original proposals would have seen the network replaced from Ayrshire, through Dumfries and Galloway and into Cumbria.

Those were scaled back after it was decided they were no longer cost effective.

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Dumfries and Galloway Council was advised by planning officers not to oppose the revised project as they said it would have "limited significant landscape, visual and cumulative effects".

However, its planning committee objected due to concerns over the impact on two RSAs - in the Galloway Hills and on the Solway Coast.

That triggered a public inquiry which was due to begin on 24 October.

Opponents want to see the cables taken underground to reduce their environmental and tourism impact.

The Scottish government's Energy Consents Unit will now decide if the inquiry should go ahead and, if so, in what format.

It could go ahead without the council, the sections involving the local authority could be dropped or it could be postponed.

Everyone involved has been given until 18 October to give their view on the best way forward.