More than 4,500 objections have been lodged against a proposed 70 mile pylon development in Aberdeenshire.
Thousands of residents have spoken out against the proposals, which would see the construction of two substations and a chain of 190 foot pylons.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Transmission lodged the plans last month, which is part of a £22 billion project aiming to build 550 pylons.
Aberdeenshire councillor Tracey Smith, who co-founded the ‘Save our Mearns’ campaign group, has been vocal in her opposition to the scheme.
She said: “The thousands of objections highlight the level of frustration and distress in our communities.
“We want to send a clear message that we do not accept the tsunami of industrial infrastructure planned for our doorstep.”
Earlier this year, it was reported that homes near the proposed route could see their value slashed by up to 40%.
The pylon chain would run between Kintore in Aberdeenshire to Tealing in Angus, near Dundee.
However, a Scottish Renewables report found that power lines did not have an adverse affect on house prices; citing a 137 mile chain between Inverness and Falkirk which opened in 2015.
The report read: "Housing market trends along the Beauly-Denny power line have mirrored those of the wider local authorities.
"Macroeconomic factors have been the principal drivers of house price growth and the power line has had no noticeable impact on house prices."
Smith, who is a Conservative councillor, said: “From homes being devalued and the impact on people’s health, to the loss of prime agricultural land and the monstrous blight on our landscape, these proposals must be stopped.
“The Scottish Government must listen to these objections, stop treating rural communities with contempt and end these attempts to ruin our precious countryside.”
Conservative MSP Alexander Bennett, who called the scheme an ‘unjust energy transition’, said he would raise the issue in Parliament.
He added: “These objections are an illustration of the fear and misery that these plans are causing for people across the North East.
“That is why I will continue to raise this in parliament as a voice to protect our beautiful landscape, and the livelihoods of residents who face living in the shadow of overdevelopment.”
Last week, SSEN submitted plans for a 115 mile pylon chain from Beauly to Peterhead.
Read more:
- SSEN submits application for Beauly to Peterhead overhead line project
- 'People will not want to come here': Pylon threat to community-run ferry to Skye
- 'Super pylon' plan emerges to run through over 100 miles of Scots countryside
Alison Hall, Director of Development for SSEN Transmission, said: "Submitting our consent application for the Beauly to Peterhead 400kV overhead line project – the last of three submissions for new 400kV overhead line infrastructure projects in our Pathway to 2030 programme – marks another key moment in delivering Scotland and the UK’s energy security and clean power targets.”
She added: “Throughout the development of this project we have undertaken one of the most extensive public consultation exercises that the north of Scotland has ever seen, and we would like to thank all stakeholders who have worked with our teams to provide constructive feedback which has been instrumental in helping shape our proposals.”
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