A GALLOWAY pressure group are seeking a refund of over £26,000 from the Scottish Government, following the approval of a controversial pylon scheme.
The Kendoon to Tongland scheme was given the green light at a public inquiry last month after a lengthy planning process and despite hundreds of objections from residents and the government’s own Reporters recommending refusal.
Now pressure group Galloway Without Pylons (GWP) have submitted an invoice to the Scottish Government to be reimbursed for the cost of experts hired to represent them at the public inquiry.
The total sum of £26,519 was raised by 82 supporters of the group, but after their efforts proved unsuccessful they are looking for the money to be refunded as the project will go ahead without restrictions. The invoice has been sent to the acting secretary for Net Zero and Energy Gillian Martin.
Giving more detail into the decision to pursue a refund, a spokesperson for GWP said: “GWP feel that this decision is unfair and ill-judged because, from the start, Scottish Power Transmission PLC did not consider utilising the existing route and under-grounding any environmentally sensitive areas.
“Furthermore, pylons going through the most popular natural tourist destination in Dumfries and Galloway, the Galloway Forest Park, will negatively affect the tourist industry during the five year construction period.
“The Scottish Ministers have disagreed with the Public Inquiry Reporters and the 1000 people who objected to the application. Therefore, the 82 people who donated money to GWP to fund the Public Inquiry need to be refunded owing to the deeply flawed application and illogical and anti-democratic Scottish Government decision.”
