Douglas has written to Energy Minister and local MSP Gillian Martin, urging her to finally meet with community groups across Scotland, including in her own constituency, who are deeply concerned about the impact of large-scale energy infrastructure projects.
Douglas highlighted that Ms Martin has “shamefully refused” to meet with residents and campaigners worried about the construction of pylons, battery storage sites, and substations across rural Aberdeenshire.
In his open letter, Douglas emphasised that many communities have been dealing with these proposals for a long time and feel ignored by their elected representative. He stated that the lack of engagement from Ms Martin has left residents feeling excluded from decisions that will have lasting effects on their environment and way of life.
Douglas also raised concerns about potential breaches of the Ministerial Code, noting that Ms Martin has met with representatives from SSEN (Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks) but has so far refused to meet with the affected communities themselves.
He has now called on local residents and concerned members of the public to join him in pressing for accountability by signing his open letter.
Residents can add their name to Douglas’ letter by signing here.
