A 15-mile overhead cable connecting a wind farm above Archiestown to the national grid at Keith will go ahead.
But one councillor has criticised the process as being an “affront to local democracy”.
The line will link the Elchies Rothes III wind farm to the Blackhillock substation.
Moray Council objected to that development – that will include 29 turbines up to 225 meters tall – spending in excess of £150,000 in the process. However the wind farm was approved by Scottish ministers last year.
Members of the planning committee were asked to consider the overhead line, and agreed several conditions that energy company SSEN must comply with.
But Speyside Glenlivet councillor Derek Ross said the process was an “affront to local democracy”.
And member for Forres Paul McBain felt councillors had their “hands tied behind our backs” as the wind farm has already been approved by the Scottish Government. Mr Ross said: “They’re basically holding a gun to our head in terms of Rothes III.
“We objected to it, we spent a lot of money and officer time on it.
“And at the end of the day local people can’t object to this.
“It’s sad, very sad what’s happening to the landscape in Moray.”
He felt there was “unfettered exploitation and industrialisation” of the Moray landscape https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/moray/6049321/wind-farm-cable-rothes-blackhillock/
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