20 January 2015
- Opportunity for people to help inform initial research to reduce the visual impact of electricity lines in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and Snowdonia National Park
- Public events to be held in Abergavenny and Maentwrog this month
- National Grid seeking public input, assisted by National Park Authorities as part of the Visual Impact Provision project
Residents who live in and near two Welsh National Parks are being invited to share their local knowledge for a project to reduce the visual impact of pylons.
Back in November 2014, National Grid identified two sections of overhead power lines crossing the river Dwyrd in the Snowdonia National Park, near Porthmadog and the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, near Abergavenny as having a significant visual impact on the landscape.
The company is now set to hold a public event in these areas where local people can share their knowledge of the area and help to contribute to the initial research. National Grid is currently investigating whether it is possible to reduce the impact of these transmission lines in the National Parks.
To help inform this initial research, public events are planned for local people to share their views and local knowledge. Members of the project team will be on hand to answer questions and provide additional information about the project.
The event for Snowdonia National Park will take place on Tuesday 27 January at the following location and time:
- Snowdonia National Park Centre, Plas Tan y Bwlch, Maentwrog, Gwynedd LL41 3YU
- Time: 2.00pm-8.00pm
The event for Bannau Brycheiniog National Park will take place on Wednesday 28 January at the following location and time:
- The Kings Arms Hotel, 29 Nevill Street, Abergavenny NP7 5AA
- Time: 2.00pm-8.00pm
Hector Pearson, National Grid VIP Project Manager said: “National Grid’s electricity network is vital to our way of life, but this project provides a real opportunity to help reduce its impact on treasured landscapes like the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and Snowdonia National Park. These events are the first step in gathering essential information to help us to consider whether it is possible to mitigate the visual impact of these transmission lines in the National Parks.”
Julian Atkins, Director of Countryside and Land Management, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority said: “Local knowledge is vital and will add important details to the research that National Grid is undertaking so we welcome this first event about the project. We are keen to see our communities sharing their knowledge with National Grid so that the project can move forward and hopefully improve the visual impact of transmission lines which pass through a very valuable and historically important landscape within our National Park.”
Jonathan Cawley, Director of Planning and Cultural Heritage at Snowdonia National Park Authority said: “We are encouraging local people to come along to these events and share their knowledge they have about our precious landscape. Whether it’s providing information about wildlife, archaeology or heritage, local people are well placed to share information which will be considered by the project team.”
The research forms part of the Visual Impact Provision* project, a major initiative to reduce the visual impact of existing transmission lines in protected areas across Great Britain. The project will make use of a £500 million allowance made available by Ofgem until 2021.