Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission (SHE Transmission) teams worked tirelessly to ensure that the pupils and teachers at Muthill Primary School, Perthshire, were not disturbed by work to underground power lines.
They carried out the work in the school holidays - a tight deadline - so that the Muthill pupils' education wouldn't be disrupted. The project involved the undergrounding of around 7.5 kilometres of overhead power lines in and around the village in a £1M project.
Planning for the project started over two years ago and has involved consultation with the local Perth and Kinross Council planning authorities, as well as the local community. This ensured compliance with the local authority and that works were coordinated around local events including school holidays. Planning permission for the works proved rather challenging, particularly due to the conservation status of Muthill Village.
Aileen Brese, SHE Transmission Project Manager said: “The removal of the overhead power lines in and around the village will have a positive visual impact on the area. We’ve been planning this project for over 2 years, and although many challenges were identified, we feel that significant progress has been made.
"It has been a fantastic experience, and also hugely encouraging witnessing the positive steps made with both the community and our own construction activities.
“By ensuring good communication with the local community and its residents prior to the commencement of the work, we’ve been able to identify and resolve potential issues before they occurred.
"I would like to thank residents for their continued assistance throughout the works, their contribution and cooperation has been invaluable.”
Suz McKenzie, Head Teacher of Muthill Primary School said:"We appreciate the efforts made by SHE Transmission to ensure the works were carried out during the school holidays and that any potential disruption was kept to a minimum.
"The project team have been very accommodating toward the school and have communicated details of the works throughout all stages of the works, this has allowed the staff and children the chance to settle back into the daily routine without any added drama. "