First steps of public inquiry process into controversial pylon proposal for Dumfries and Galloway

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The public inquiry process into a controversial pylon line proposed for central Kirkcudbrightshire is under way.Interested parties attended a pre-examination session on the Kendoon to Tongland Reinforcement Project in Kirkcudbright yesterday.The meeting was presided over by reporter Katrina Rice, who was appointed by Scottish Ministers and brought together objectors, applicants SP Energy Networks, the council and Scottish Forestry.The summit, in the Arden House Hotel, was solely to agree procedures and timescales for the inquiry, not to hear the merits of the proposal.Those present included Galloway Against Pylons activists Paul Swift and Nancy Harrison, from Laurieston, and Stephen McLean, also of Laurieston.Laura Moodie from Borgue and Bernhardt von Spreckelsen, the commercial rights holder of Slogarie Estate near Laurieston – which would be impacted by the line if constructed – also attended.He told the inquiry: “I am developing a hyper luxury project and in an ideal world part of it would be situated at Slogarie.”Ailsa Wilson QC represented the applicants and Peter Ferguson, a partner in solicitors Harper and MacLeod, was the council’s legal representative.Andrew Kitching, woodland technical officer for the South of Scotland Conservancy, represented Scottish Forestry.Setting the ground rules, Ms Rice said the applicant would be required to provide a response to each representation made in relation to the KTR project within two weeks.“As quick a response as possible would be appreciated,” she told Ms Wilson, who replied that “was not feasible” given the scale of the task.“I have asked for this information twice already,” Ms Rice said.“The scope of evidence at the inquiry is clearly going to be related to the council’s