Ministers yesterday rejected legal submissions from campaigners against the Beauly to Denny power line, which could have stopped the public inquiry into the development.

Ministers yesterday rejected legal submissions from campaigners against the Beauly to Denny power line, which could have stopped the public inquiry into the development.

In March, just weeks after the public inquiry opened in Perth, three groups lodged challenges to the position adopted by the inquiry reporters and the developers.

In particular, they took issue with the absence of any strategic environmental assessment and the failure of the regulator Ofgem to consider the impact of the 400,000-volt power line that would stretch for 136 miles supported by 600 giant pylons.

After some weeks' delay waiting for the developers' response, Timothy Brian, the principal reporter, and his two colleagues forwarded the submissions to the Scottish Executive for consideration.

When the inquiry moved to Inverness at the end of last month, legal counsel for opponents said it was neither acceptable nor responsible for nearly three months to have passed without a response to their challenges.

Finally, the response came yesterday, but the executive statement was not the one they were hoping for. It said that Scottish ministers had considered the legal submissions to the Beauly Denny public inquiry, on behalf of Eilean Aigas Estate, Highlands before Pylons and Scotland before Pylons and Beauly-Denny Landscape Group, together with the further submissions on behalf of (the developers) Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission Ltd (Shetl) and Scottish Power Transmission.

It added: "Having considered the submissions, Scottish ministers have decided that the public inquiry will proceed at present on the timetable agreed with the parties."

Bill Wright, of the Beauly-Denny Landscape Group, said: "I think we will have to examine the detail and reasoning behind the ministers' decision with our legal advisers before deciding our next move."

Campaigners have criticised the power companies for seeking permission from Ofgem to pass their near £5m estimated legal costs for the public inquiry on to their customers.

But a spokeswoman for Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) said: "SSE is proposing to upgrade the Beauly Denny line in line with licence obligations and because of discharging those obligations are able to seek costs on this basis."