Appeal over controversial Fetteresso Forest substation after plans narrowly refused

SSEN has lodged an appeal with the Scottish Government in a bid to overturn Aberdeenshire Council’s decision to refuse its Fetteresso Forest substation.

The energy giant wanted to construct a 400kV electricity substation in the beloved forest near Stonehaven.

SSEN argued the site was needed to support major upgrades to Scotland’s electricity grid, including offshore wind connections and the Kintore to Tealing power line.

But after a seven-hour debate back in January, councillors narrowly voted to throw the Hurlie Substation proposal out.

They believed the site would change the landscape of the forest and potentially create flooding issues as well as “industrialisation of the area”.

However, an appeal statement submitted by the energy firm’s lawyers CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP argues that the council’s refusal was “unreasonable”.

SSEN slammed the local authority’s decision, saying it was made “without reasonable planning grounds”.

It also claims that the council failed to give “complete, precise and relevant” reasons for refusing the substation.

SSEN also suggested that the local authority “ignored” expert advice from SEPA and NatureScot, as well as its own flood team.

The firm admitted that landscape and visual effects would occur, but they would be limited and expected as construction gets underway.

It also pointed out that a flood risk assessment was carried out and found that the substation would not be at risk of flooding and it wouldn’t increase flooding elsewhere.

SSEN made the point that the Fetteresso development is nationally important as it would support net‑zero targets.

Finally, the energy firm stated that the application was recommended for approval by council planners, therefore believes it should have been approved.

The statement added: “It is only because of the planning authority’s unreasonable conduct that this appeal is necessary.”

A reporter will now be assigned to consider the application and appeal, before making a final decision on the matter.