Overhead power lines have been buried underground in a Lake District village as part of a scheme to enhance landscapes across Cumbria.
Electricity North West has carried out the £300,000 project in Dacre near Penrith, removing 1.7km of overhead electricity cables.
The work is one of the firm’s final projects in its eight-year undergrounding programme delivered across national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty in the North West – costing a total of £4 million.
Tracey Cuthbertson, who oversees the underground schemes for Electricity North West in Cumbria, said: “We’re delighted to be able to continue in our work to enhance the local landscape by removing these power lines and wood poles so everyone can enjoy this beautiful part of Cumbria.
“The North West’s power network is one of the most reliable in the world and we want to maintain the best supply to our customers. At times, we do understand the overhead lines can impact the local landscapes and that’s why we utilise the scheme to underground overhead lines where possible.
“With funding for a further five years, we are able to continue to work with the Lake District National Park Authority to identify additional areas which may benefit from seeing overhead lines removed and undergrounded.”
Across the course of the eight-year project Electricity North West has removed over 30km of overhead power lines in the Lake District, replacing them with underground cables instead.
Friends of the Lake District overhead wires officer Amanda McCleery added: “It has been fantastic to get such a long stretch of wire clutter removed from the landscape. It comes on top of a shorter stretch of lines that have already been undergrounded close to historic Dacre Castle.”
A further five-year £6 million programme has also been approved by Ofgem to continue undergrounding overhead lines in national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty from this year onwards.
Tim Duckmanton, on behalf of the Lake District National Park Authority, said: “Continuing our essential work with Electricity North West, in the special Lake District landscape, will ensure the power network is maintained whilst not detracting from the natural beauty of the place.
“We look forward to working together with partners to identify many more sites within the national park over the coming years.”
