Stop the Pylons!
In May this year we received a letter from National Grid informing us that our farm and the Amber Valley as a whole were identified as being the preferred route for a new pylon project that will form part of ‘The Great Grid Upgrade’. The proposed route will see new 165ft (50m) pylons raised from Chesterfield to Willington irrevocably altering the scenic valley and surrounding countryside including detrimentally affecting Brackenfield Alpacas.
The Stage 1 consultation, where objections could be lodged, closed in September but the Stage 2 consultation will open in 2025, which will allow for futher objections, so if you would like to log an objection then please do so by clicking the below button and filling in the form.
What are the details of what's being proposed?
National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) is consulting on proposals to build approximately 60 kilometres of new 400 kilovolt (kV) overhead electricity line between a new substation at Chesterfield and the existing Willington substation.
The Chesterfield to Willington project will support UK’s net zero target by adding capacity to accommodate increasing power flows of energy generated mostly from offshore wind, in Scotland and North East England, which is expected to double within the next ten years to areas south to the Midlands and beyond.
The preferred route will go directly through the Amber Valley and will encompass 50m (165ft) pylons spaced at 300m, the initial building of the pylons will necessitate the destruction of a swathe of natural habitat and thousands of trees and will irrevocably alter the valley.
You can be supportive of green energy and improving the network infrastructure but feel that there are many alternative routes that National Grid could use that will be less damaging.
National Grid didn’t choose this route because it makes the most environmental sense, they choose the route because it is the cheapest option. National Grid are a private company owned by international shareholders whose prime purpose is to make profits.
National Grids proposals for 50m high pylons will be seen for up to 17miles! Which will be detrimental to the historic landscape, environment and biodiversity of this of part of Derbyshire and irretrievably harm the local economy and wellbeing of the communities in its path.