Donald Hood: Time the people were listened to in power line dispute

SSE has chosen a new overhead route past the village which will partially encircle it using four angle towers, and will pass almost over the village graveyard. A public inquiry in 2007 found the proposal acceptable, and Scottish ministers subsequently gave consent.

The new route will require 14 pylons which will average 58 metres in height compared with the existing pylons of 26 metres. The new pylons will be three times the height of the mature oaks next to Muthill cemetery.

Since 2005, hundreds of local people supported Muthill and Tullibardine Community Council's alternative of a short 2.9km underground route past the village. In the opinion of MTCC, the inquiry reporters were highly biased towards SSE, omitting relevant evidence regarding the visual impact of the overhead line. This is shown in the community's YouTube film, "The Muthill Protest".

The Scottish minister responsible, Jim Mather, has stipulated both mitigation measures and so-called "rationalisation" measures to compensate Muthill. However SSE's expert witness said that no amount of mitigation would prevent the dominating effect on Muthill graveyard of the nearest pylon. The rationalisation involves undergrounding 8km of light cables currently on wooden poles, an insignificant compensation compared with the huge negative impact of the new power line. There are many advantages of undergrounding: it uses only seven pylons; the important tourist entrance to Strathearn and the Highlands would be protected; the risk of bird collisions reduced; there would be no adverse effect on Muthill cemetery; only one outlying property would be affected compared to ten from SSE's overhead route.

We, therefore, urge ministers to stand up to SSE. Muthill's underground solution is costed and viable.

• Donald Hood is chairman of Muthill and Tullibardine CC.