NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Use 17 December 2009 SNP GOVERNMENT DELAYS BEAULY-DENNY DECISION The SNP Government has come clean and stated that the decision on the Beauly to Denny power line will not be made in 2009 any longer and instead in 2010 in a Ministerial Statement to the Parliament. Mid-Scotland & Fife Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser has criticised the SNP Government for further delaying the decision. The delay in the decision means that interested groups and organisations will have to wait even longer to discover the fate of the one of the largest planning applications in Scotland. In a parliamentary answer, Energy Minister Jim Mather stated: “I have stated previously that I will make a decision on the applications to upgrade the Beauly to Denny overhead transmission line by the end of the year. I agree with the Convener of the Enterprise, Energy and Tourism Committee in his letter of 27 October 2009 that this issue is of such importance that the decision should be announced to Parliament. I will therefore notify Parliament, the applicants and the other interested parties of my decision at the earliest opportunity, and at that time I will make a Ministerial Statement to the Parliament.” Commenting, Murdo Fraser said: “It is disappointing that we now know that it will be January before we have an announcement on the Beauly to Denny power line, despite having been promised previously by the SNP government that a decision will be made by the end of this year. This delay is very frustrating to all those who are interested in the project from power companies down to anti-pylon protester groups. “The SNP Government has been shameful with the way that it has conducted itself with the decision of the Beauly to Denny power line. They have promised and broken deadlines, leaked information to journalists and do not seemed bothered with keeping companies, organisations, communities and individuals waiting on a decision. “With the decision on Beauly to Denny power line now looming in the background until January, then it means more waiting and uncertainty for communities in Perthshire and Stirlingshire.” ENDS   back to top of page