Group forms to fight 60km Derbyshire pylon plan

Catherine Harris says the group has already held its first meeting

A campaign group has formed to oppose plans to run a 60km (37 mile) corridor of electricity pylons through Derbyshire.

Residents in Amber Valley say the National Grid’s plans will ruin their landscape by running power lines held aloft by 50m high pylons between substations in Chesterfield and Willington in South Derbyshire.

National Grid said existing power lines did not have capacity to cope with the increased power flows from offshore wind turbines.

A consultation is currently under way on the plans, and a new campaign group Save Amber Valley Environment (SAVE) has formed to push for alternatives to be considered.

Higham resident Catherine Harris, of SAVE, told the BBC: “We can’t believe that National Grid, who are supposed to be supplying green energy, can even contemplate putting 50m high pylons across this wonderful landscape.

“Surely they can look at other ways. These pylons are archaic; they’ve been used since World War Two.”

Pylons are planned across a corridor through Derbyshire

David and Caroline Wakefield, owners of grade II*-listed Ogston Hall in Brackenfield, also oppose the scheme.

Mr Wakefield told the BBC: “The present house dates back to about 1550. It will have a disastrous impact, it would dwarf all the trees.”

Mrs Wakefield said: “I hope it will be rerouted somewhere else, quite frankly, and if that’s not possible, bury it underground.”

The overhead lines would carry six gigawatts of electricity - enough to power six million homes, said the company.

The route for the project, designed to help harness the energy generated from offshore windfarms, will only be decided after consultation, says National Grid.

The route is under consultation currently

The National Grid said that its infrastructure was largely built in the 1960s and needed upgrading.

Project manager Leanne Evans said: "The Chesterfield to Willington project is one of 17 projects that's happening across the country.

"We are expecting electricity demand to double over the coming years, and we are seeing an increase in electricity generation, largely in offshore wind turbines, and we need to be able to get that energy from where it is generated to where it is needed.

"We recognise the concern that communities will have in hosting this type of infrastructure.

"We are very much in the early development stages of this project, so we would really encourage people to give us that feedback and help us shape our proposals."

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