Residents are continuing to push back against plans for a possible large new substation and 17 miles of pylons near Carlisle.
National Grid’s proposed Cross Border Connection project is aiming to improve electricity flow between Scotland and England and deliver ‘clean, home-grown energy to power up to six million homes’.
But people living in north Cumbria have said they believe it could ‘destroy’ their communities if it goes ahead.
The proposed line would run from the England-Scotland border near Kershopefoot to the new substation, with two possible sites under consideration.
If it were to go ahead in north Cumbria, it is believed that it would be larger than any existing substation in the UK.
There are two routes under consideration:
- Option A would end at a new substation north of Carlisle, near the existing Harker substation. This route would involve around 28km of new overhead line. This route would run through the area where the rally took place.
- Option B would end at a new substation south of Carlisle, with a longer route of around 47km. This route would cross Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site just north of the River Eden, where the wall survives as underground remains.
The National Grid held consultations on the plans between October and December last year.
It said it was considering the feedback as it develops more detailed proposals for where the new infrastructure could be built
The updated proposals were expected to be shared as part of a second round of consultation, which is expected to take place in 2027.
North Carlisle Against Pylons and Substation – a group that was set up last year by local residents and landowners who oppose Option A – said the push back against the plans has been ‘ramping up’ in the area.
In May, a metal detectorist rally saw three bronze age torcs and other artefacts discovered in the Blackford area of the proposed site for the substation – bringing concerns over heritage into play.
Last month, residents launched a petition objecting to Option A, which has so far received over 375 signatures.
The group is also holding regular community meetings to discuss Option A and concerns around it.
The latest was attended by people from across north Cumbria and Carlisle as well as mayoral candidate Mike Starkie.
A number of smaller new opposition groups have also been set up and protests have been discussed.
A spokesman for the group said: “You look at the pylons in the Option A plans and some of them will be significantly bigger than the Civic Centre, and I don’t think people realise that.
“You’re talking about a 17 miles stretch from the Scottish Border, it will be very visible and then with the substation being so big, we’re worried it will attract other types of development of equal size and scale.
“But things are starting to ramp up. There are plans coming in terms of protests in Carlisle, but I think that just represents a sense of how unhappy people are.
“We have 10 parish councils looking at an alliance for north Cumbria and there’s also a number of direct action groups starting to form around key areas of concern around ecology, heritage and direct action.
“More people are starting to come forward and say they didn’t understand it would be this big or impact them this much. I think they don’t feel like they’re being listened to by the council and that they’re not engaged whatsoever.
“I think people in north Cumbria and Carlisle have been abandoned by Cumberland Council.”
The group said it wanted to see Cumberland Council play a more active role in supporting residents and helping their concerns be heard.
But Cumberland Council said it does not have the power to determine the application.
A council spokesman said: “This type of proposed development follows a different planning process.
“It is part of a Development Consent Order (DCO) – a legal instrument used to grant planning and development consent for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs).
“The council is one of many consultees and does not determine the application. We will be participating in the process as it progresses, including the preparation of a community impact report.
“As the applicant, National Grid, has in place its own consultation process.”
The North Cumbria Against Pylons and Substation group said it was concerned about the project’s scale and the long-term impact of the plans.
A spokesman added: “There are examples in other parts of the country where they’ve built large substations and then ended up with data centres and solar farms.
“We’re not just worried about the here and now of the substation, we’re worried about the potential of industrialisation in the future or the creation of an energy corridor.
“It’s not just a case of the next five years, it’s about whatever comes with it in the next 10 years.
“Ultimately, it will industrialise what is a very rural area of north Cumbria on a scale that has not been seen in generations.
“A substation in Harker was built in the 1960s and this is the first time in three generations that something like this has come through.
“We know it will directly impact the viability of two farms and is likely to put them out of business.
“People have bought homes here and are now looking at significant value reduction, people have retired here and their inheritance planning is impacted and already reduced by just the prospect of it.”
The group said it was looking for better transparency on the decision making process from the National Grid.
A group spokesman added: “There’s a lack of transparency from National Grid about how the decision is taken on and which community takes the brunt of it.
“The consultations feel tokenistic and people just want to understand the rationale behind Option A and they want an option to explain why it shouldn’t be here and it’s impact.
“They feel more like information-sharing events, it feels like you’re effectively being told you have to accept this in the interest of national endeavour and while we won’t say you’re collateral damage, you are.”
The group added that it believes Option B is the better choice, which would see the project built outside the area.
National Grid said improvements to the grid are necessary as electricity demand grows across the country.
Energy regulators have said that upgrades would make the grid more efficient and connect it to cheaper renewable energy sources, which aims to offset much of the cost for billpayers.
A National Grid spokesman said: “Cross Border Connection is at an early stage of development and no final decisions have been made on the route of the overhead line or the location of the proposed substation.
“We welcome feedback from local communities. During our first stage of consultation we received more than 500 responses and 675 people attended public information events.
“Those views, alongside environmental, technical and engineering assessments, will help inform the development of the project.
“We are currently reviewing the responses received and undertaking further environmental, technical and engineering assessments.
“Feedback from local communities will continue to play an important role in shaping the project as we develop updated proposals for the next stage of public engagement, currently expected to take place in 2027.”
North Cumbria Against Pylons and Substation said while it agrees with plans to upgrade the grid, that it believes Option A would be destructive.
A spokesman added: “There is no question we need this type of development, the country needs an upgrade to its energy systems.
“But we don’t believe what is being tabled here of a substation of this size in a pretty well populated rural community is just, it is reckless.
“It doesn’t feel like there’s been consideration for the community, farmers, homes and impact on schools when you build something nobody wants to live near.
“I’ve had people say to me they don’t sleep anymore because they’re so worried about it.
“You’re talking about people’s lives being really and truly massively destroyed or impacted in a way that they haven’t prepared for in 30 years in terms of working life.”
