Council says it’s only a ‘consultee’ and urges public not to swamp it with objections over Spittal-Beauly mega power line plan
Highland Council released a statement on Friday (October 24) about the Spittal to Beauly overhead electricity line to highlight its role as a ‘consultee’ in the controversial plan.
The Spittal to Beauly power line is a proposal by SSEN Transmission to build a new 400kV overhead power line spanning approximately 191km across the north Highlands. The project is a key part of the larger Pathway to 2030 program, which aims to reinforce the electricity network to transport increasing volumes of renewable energy.
The project has drawn objections from environmental groups, heritage organisations, and local community groups, with key concerns being the visual impact of huge power lines in the Highland landscape, along with the "significant adverse” effects it will have on 28 scheduled monuments, as highlighted by Historic Environment Scotland.
Highland Council said that the chairs of its North and South Planning Applications Committees, as well as ward members, have been “getting enquiries from the public wanting to know what the process is”.
A Highland Council spokesperson stressed that the local authority is acting as a “consultee” on the project and not making the final decision.
“[Today’s statement] highlights what actions as a consultee we will be taking and advises that there will be a joint meeting of the North Planning Applications Committee and South Planning Applications Committee at a date to be confirmed,” they added.
The statement was made public and released on Highland Council’s website, with the local authority outlining the work involved in the proposal along with “temporary diversion works, and ancillary development and associated works”.
In Scotland, certain applications in relation to energy infrastructure are made to the Scottish Ministers for determination. These cases are administered by the Energy Consents Unit (ECU). The Spittal to Beauly overhead electricity line is one such case.
Highland Council adds: “This case will be determined by the Energy Consents Unit. Please visit ECU at www.energyconsents.scot/ApplicationSearch.aspx using reference number ECU00006008.
“The Highland Council wishes to advise all interested parties in the above application that the council’s consultation response will be submitted to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit within the deadline the council has been given – by 7 November 2025.
“Once our response has been submitted, this will be made publicly available via the ECU’s website and placed on the council’s ePlanning portal, under reference 25/03311/S37.
“We will then consider the application at a joint meeting of North and South Planning Applications Committees, where we will decide our detailed comments. While provisional dates for the meeting are being finalised, they have yet to be confirmed.
“Like other applications made under Section 37 of the Electricity Act, owing to the council being a statutory consultee and the application to be determined by Scottish Ministers, there will not be a pre-determination hearing conducted by the planning authority and therefore, other interested parties will not have the right to speak to the forthcoming committee meeting.”
The local authority also stressed that the public has had opportunities to give feedback on SSEN Transmission’s proposal after it submitted a Section 37 planning application.
An SSEN Transmission spokesperson said that the council is “a statutory consultee of the Energy Consents Unit in relation to the proposed project”.
SSEN Transmission is exploring different options for its infrastructure projects after community consultations highlighted concerns. This includes adding alternative routes and potentially changing tower positions to reduce impacts on homes and land use.
It further said that if the project is consented, it will deliver significant local and national economic benefits, including around £35m of community benefit funding, alongside underpinning a proposed new operational depot in Caithness, supporting permanent local jobs.