 Countryside campaigner CPRE, in alliance with the Campaign for National Parks, Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales and the National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are calling for the eventual removal of three of the largest and most unsightly lines of pylons in the country, stretching over 350 miles of countryside. The call comes as a new Government policy, due this month, is expected to support at least 12 new lines of overhead pylons across 170 miles of England and Wales which would add hundreds more pylons to the 22,000 high voltage pylons already owned by National Grid.
National Grid is considering new pylons in the Snowdonia National Park and a further three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs). National Parks and AONBs are the crown jewels of the landscapes of England and Wales. High voltage transmission lines owned by National Grid already directly intrude into six National Parks and 13 AONBs. Based on figures provided by National Grid, there are approximately 550 pylons in National Parks. The alliance is calling for a long-term plan to dismantle three lines owned by National Grid that particularly affect our most important landscapes. The lines should be removed and then either replaced with underground or undersea cables, or re-routed. These lines run over 350 miles in total, typically involve pylons of around 50 metres in height spaced at five per mile of transmission line, and run across the Peak District National Park near Woodhead; from Dungeness to Exeter, running directly through National Parks in the New Forest and South Downs, and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Devon and Dorset; and in a ring crossing two parts of the Snowdonia National Park east from Trawsfynydd and on the North Wales coast in an associated back-up route.
Removing these lines would remove the vast majority of pylons currently in National Parks. Replacing them with underground or undersea cables, or re-routing the lines, will need major upfront investment. The alliance wants: only the most intrusive lines to be buried, less than 10% of the overall total mileage of the current network; the work to be carried out gradually over two to three decades; and a new role for the energy regulator, Ofgem, in encouraging the additional investment that will be necessary.
The alliance is also concerned about major new plans by National Grid for thousands more pylons in the countryside. It is urging National Grid and the new Infrastructure Planning Commission to ensure that, where new lines are unavoidable, that the least damaging options for development are taken. |
Innovations 
