Proposed power line would cross Antonine Wall

The proposed route of a new power line from Bonnybridge to Glenmavis would cross the Antonine Wall, a World Heritage site, it has emerged.

SP Energy Networks (Spen) said plans to upgrade the network in the area would help Scotland meet Net Zero climate change targets.

It said the chosen route would cross the wall at a location that minimises potential effects on the site.

A public consultation is being held from 24 May to 21 June.

The Antonine Wall was built by the Romans, running from the Firth of Forth to the Firth of Clyde. Most of the wall and its associated fortifications have been destroyed over time, but some remains are visible.

Spen said the route would pass east of Rough Castle, "using dips in the landscape and screening provided by existing trees to reduce visibility in the landscape".

It would then pass west of the Slamannan Plateau special protection area (SPA) and cross Palacerigg Country Park.

Spen's report said: "We can't avoid crossing the park because of the need to avoid the SPA and nearby homes on the edge of Cumbernauld, but we will use the landscape and mature trees to screen the new line from views as much as possible."

The route then avoids the community growth areas and planned development north of Airdrie and east of the A73, before terminating at a point near Glenmavis where it joins on to the existing Easterhouse-Newarthill overhead transmission line.

Most of the towers would be 46m (150ft) high, but some could be up to 63m (206ft) for safety reasons. Spen said the towers were usually about 300m (328yds) apart but the exact distance would vary depending on obstacles such as roads, rivers and railway lines.

Spen said the line would be upgraded as part of the Denny to Wishaw Network Upgrade Project. It says this is because more renewable electricity needs to flows through the area as the move is made away from fossil fuels such as coal and gas.

The company said work was also needed to increase the voltage in an overhead line between Denny North and Bonnybridge substations from 275,000 volts to 400,000 volts.

Locals will be given the chance to have their say on the plans, the preferred route for the new line and the associated works.

Leaflets are being sent to 25,000 homes and businesses in communities across the central belt to explain the plans and how to take part in the consultation, which will be mainly online due to coronavirus restrictions.

Spen's project manager, Fiona Muir, said: "Scotland and the UK are in the middle of a transformation, with the electricity we use increasingly coming from clean, green renewables which are replacing older power stations.

"At the same time, demand for electricity is increasing rapidly with the electrification of cars, heating systems, transport and industry.

"This huge change means we need to upgrade the transmission network to ensure it can get this increasing amount of electricity from where it is produced to the homes, businesses, hospitals and public services that need it."

A second round of consultation will take place next year on a detailed route, after which Spen will seek approval from the Scottish government.