An SNP MP is attempting to change the law to block councils from ordering public inquiries into windfarms and power line schemes.
Alan Brown, the party’s energy spokesman at Westminster, sought to add a clause to the UK Government’s new energy bill that would strip councils of the right to launch a public inquiry into infrastructure works.
It would mean only Scottish Ministers at Holyrood could decide whether such an inquiry should be held in Scotland.
Current rules state a public local inquiry will be automatically triggered if a council objects to a planning application.
Rivals accused the SNP of orchestrating a “shameful” power grab from communities.
Plan came after talks with power company
Brown told MPs the clause was proposed following discussions with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), which is responsible for electricity transmission in the north of Scotland. Read more:
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