Work has begun to remove electricity poles

A little corner of a national park will be better looking after a scheme to remove power lines.

Hundreds of metres of electricity cables will be buried at Dalefoot, near Bampton in the North-East of the Lake District.

The scheme will involve putting more than 2km of high-voltage overhead line underground, along with about 200m of low-voltage cable. The work is funded by an undergrounding allowance from the regulator Ofgem, as part of an eight-year programme.

The Lake District National Park Authority, helped by Friends of the Lake District, identify which electricity lines intrude most on the landscapes of the national park. The most feasible schemes are then submitted to Electricity North West to be incorporated into the programme.

By the time the current programme finishes in 2023 about 37km (23 miles) of electricity power lines will have been buried in the Lake District national park alone, costing more than £4m.

Power lines near Bampton are being taken down and put underground

Friends of the Lake District overhead wires officer Amanda McCleery said: “This may be a more remote part of the Lake District national park but nonetheless the poles and wires can stand out against the skyline in this open landscape.

“Friends of the Lake District are always pleased to see negative impacts, such as these, removed from a landscape. We appreciate the hard work put into these undergrounding schemes by multiple staff within Electricity North West, from when the site is first surveyed to when the last pole is taken down.”

Paul McGonigle, programme delivery manager for Electricity North West, said: “We’re delighted to be able to enhance the local landscape by removing these power lines and poles so everyone can enjoy this beautiful part of Cumbria.

“Our electricity network is vital to ensure our customers across the North-West receive a reliable power supply to their homes and businesses, but we do understand that sometimes it can impact the local landscape. We’re committed to working with the communities in which we operate and we continue to work closely with the Lake District National Park Authority to help further protect this stunning area.”

Chris Greenwood of the Lake District National Park Authority said: “The beautiful landscape across the Lake District is an important resource and we must do what we can to ensure that essential services, like the power network, are delivered in a way that doesn’t detract from our most sensitive landscapes.

“Working closely with Electricity North West to remove these overhead lines is an important part of that process.”