Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is encouraging the public to nominate overhead distribution power lines running across officially designated beauty spots that they would like to see buried underground.
SSEN is investing over £15m in a project to underground 90km of overhead lines in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, National Parks and National Scenic Areas in the north of Scotland and central southern England.
The electricity network operator is looking to target the sections of its network which will provide the greatest visual improvement to the natural landscapes the country has to offer.
SSEN will work with a variety of planning offices with responsibility for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, National Parks and National Scenic Areas to compare and prioritise the nominated sections. The cost to underground the overhead sections can vary due to the voltage, length of circuit and geography and these will be considered when selecting the final areas.
Andrew Roper, Director of Engineering and Investment at SSEN said: "Overhead power lines on our network provide a secure and cost-effective way of safely distributing electricity to our customers in our communities north and south. We understand that in some officially designated beauty spots, some people may feel the lines have a detrimental impact on the natural environment."
"Undergrounding overhead lines can be expensive and can often cause more damage to the environment than wooden poles or towers. We need to carefully consider each nominated area, working with other utilities, landowners and public bodies to plan and identify the best areas to carry out this work."
"It is vital our customers play an important role in this decision-making process. We want to consult with our communities to find out which areas and short sections of the network they would prefer to be replaced with underground cables to help enhance the visual appeal of the landscape. By finding out and understanding what matters most to members of our communities, means we can make sure we are investing in the right areas where we know it will truly make a difference."
Members of the public can nominate areas for undergrounding to be assessed by SSEN and local authority planners by visiting ssen.co.uk/undergrounding where they will be asked to provide details of the location including a grid reference, a photograph, a reason why they think the line should be undergrounded and indicate who else in their local community supports the proposal.