It’s Time to Make Your Voice Count — Contact Your Councillors Now!
You’ve already stood up and joined over 11,000 others in objecting to the SSEN TKUP planning application (Ref: ECU00005225). Now there’s just one more vital step — making sure your councillors know exactly how you feel.
Councils are Statutory Consultees in this process. That means their objections carry real legal weight and could help trigger a Public Inquiry — the crucial next step in holding SSEN to proper scrutiny.
Please take a few minutes today to write to your councillors and urge them to object on behalf of the community. It’s quick, easy, and powerful — just follow the steps below and use the example letter provided.
Go to www.WriteToThem.com
Enter your postcode to find your councillors
Copy and send the example letter below
Together, we’ve made our voices heard — now let’s make sure our Council does the same.
Note: The letter below is only a guide. You don’t need to use all the points — feel free to adapt it and include your own concerns.
Sample Letter
Dear Councillor [Surname],
I am writing to express my serious concern regarding the SSEN TKUP planning application (Ref: ECU00005225).
As a statutory consultee, the Council has the right to object to this application on behalf of its residents. I am one of many local people who share deep concerns about the scale and impact of this proposal. Over 11,000 individuals have already submitted objections to the Energy Consents Unit (ECU).
The application, as submitted, omits key assessments under several important categories, preventing councillors and communities from making a fully informed judgment on its implications.
Key Issues Scoped Out of the Application
Human Health
The proposal involves extremely high-voltage transmission, yet no detailed EMF impact assessment has been undertaken. The corridor runs in close proximity to homes, raising legitimate health and safety concerns.
Agriculture
SSEN has claimed that agricultural impact is “negligible,” citing only 4.95 hectares lost to pylon footprints. However, new information indicates that conductor height will restrict the operation of modern combine harvesters, potentially removing approximately 1,000 hectares of productive land from use.
Planning Policies
A number of relevant NPF4 and LDP policies are omitted or selectively referenced. Mitigation measures are frequently inadequate. In some cases, the application states that detail will be provided post-decision — which is irregular and unacceptable.
Human Impact
Many homes within the corridor are now effectively unsellable or have suffered significant loss of value, creating financial hardship for families and older residents. Some properties have fallen into negative equity, impacting mortgages and leaving pensioners who need to downsize trapped in homes they can no longer afford.
There are also serious safety concerns where the high-pressure gas mains run parallel to, or cross, the proposed transmission lines — a potential risk both during construction and once energised, creating a permanent ignition source. e Many homes are less than 100m from the high pressure gas main.
I urge you to formally object to this application to ensure a full and transparent assessment of its environmental, agricultural, and human impacts. Doing so will help protect local communities and ensure a fairer, more responsible outcome.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address or Postcode]
