Andrew Bowie MP held a public meeting at Mearns Academy alongside the Save our Mearns campaign group. Ian Thornton-Kemsley of property experts Galbraith spoke at the meeting with Andrew and Tracey Smith from Save our Mearns.
The meeting was attended by residents from across the Mearns and beyond with campaigners from groups such as Deeside Against Pylons and Angus Pylon Action Group attending too.
Andrew told attendees that one of the major issues regarding the network is that offshore and onshore windfarms are being constructed faster than the technology to transmit the power generated.
Current Scottish Government plans to increase the rate of installation and remove the right of public inquiry at local authority level were also discussed.
Mr Bowie said: “The transmission route affects many communities along its entire length, with different impacts on farming, housing and visual amenity.
“Local people are the greatest experts on the places and landscape they live in.
"And they are rightly worried about the amount of information and discussion they have with SSEN, which I have been trying to rectify.
“They are also concerned that the Scottish Government, which wields the power of planning consent for all this development, won’t consider local objections or indeed requests for local inquiry by councils.
“At every stage of the consultation and planning process, it's vital everyone affected gets involved. It is clear there are areas where alternatives are needed. And when a community says no, it’s their democratic right to be heard.”
