National Grid has announced a series of public consultation events where local people can discuss proposals for a new overhead line between Bramford, near Ipswich, and Twinstead, near Sudbury.
The company will be consulting on four potential ‘route corridors’ – stretches of land in which an overhead line could be located.
National Grid major projects manager David Mercer said: “We recognise that this is a major development and we are committed to public consultation. These events will give local people the opportunity to discuss their queries and concerns with us and feed back their views.
“Nineteen events are being held throughout the area, from late October to mid-February, so that we hope that everyone who wishes to attend an event can. National Grid has no preference as to which route corridor should be taken forward and we are inviting people to give us their views.
“National Grid has a statutory obligation to connect new generation. We have been asked to connect a number of new generators to the system in East Anglia. We always try to make the best use of our existing infrastructure, however, even with upgrades to our existing network we cannot accommodate this new generation without a new overhead line between Bramford and Twinstead.”
The events are as follows:
Hadleigh, Tuesday 27 October 2009 (12 noon to 9pm)
Hadleigh Town Hall, The Guildhall, Hadleigh, Ipswich, IP7 5DT
Hadleigh, Saturday 07 November 2009 (12 noon to 9pm)
Hadleigh Town Hall, The Guildhall, Hadleigh, Ipswich, IP7 5DT
Whatfield, Monday 09 November 2009 (2pm to 9pm)
Whatfield Village Hall, Rectory Road, Whatfield, Ipswich, IP7 6QU
Twinstead, Thursday 12 November 2009 (12 noon to 9pm)
Twinstead Village Hall, Church Road, Twinstead, Sudbury, CO10 7NA
Hadleigh, Tuesday 17 November 2009 (12 noon to 9pm)
Hadleigh Town Hall, The Guildhall, Hadleigh, Ipswich, IP7 5DT
Bures, Thursday 26 November 2009 (2pm to 9pm)
Bures Community Hall, Nayland Road, Bures, CO8 5BX
Hintlesham, Thursday 03 December 2009 (12 noon to 6pm)
Hintlesham and Chattisham Village Hall, George Street, Hintlesham, Ipswich, IP8 3NH
Somersham, Friday 11 December 2009 (12 noon to 9pm)
Somersham Village Hall, Main Road, Lower Somersham, Ipswich, IP8 4QA
Burstall, Saturday 12 December 2009 (12 noon to 9pm)
Burstall Village Hall, The Street, Burstall, Ipswich, IP8 3DN
Wickham St Paul, Tuesday 05 January 2010 (12 noon to 9pm)
Wickham St. Paul Village Hall, The Green, Wickham St Paul, Halstead, CO9 2PT
Boxford, Friday 08 January 2010 (12 noon to 9pm)
Boxford Village Hall, Stone Street Road, Boxford, Sudbury, CO10 5NP
Assington, Friday 15 January 2010 (12 noon to 9pm)
Assington Village Hall, The Street, Assington, CO10 5LW
Leavenheath, Saturday 16 January 2010 (12 noon to 9pm)
Leavenheath Village Hall, Wrights Way, Leavenheath, Colchester, CO6 4NR
Great Waldingfield, Tuesday 19 January 2010 (12 noon to 9pm)
Great Waldingfield Village Hall, Lavenham Road, Great Waldingfield, Sudbury, CO10 0SE
Newton, Wednesday 20 January 2010 (12 noon to 9pm)
Newton Village Hall, The Green, Newton, CO10 0QR
Bildeston, Thursday 21 January 2010 (12 noon to 9pm)
Chamberlin Hall, Chamberlin Close, Bildeston, Ipswich, IP7 7ES
Monks Eleigh, Monday 25 January 2010 (12 noon to 9pm)
Monks Eleigh Coronation Hall, Church Field, Monks Eleigh, Ipswich, IP7 7JH
Kersey, Tuesday 26 January 2010 (12 noon to 9pm)
Kersey Village Hall, The Green, Kersey, Ipswich, IP7 6EB
Castle Hedingham, Thursday 11 February 2010 (12 noon to 9pm)
Castle Hedingham Memorial Hall, Pye Corner, Castle Hedingham, Halstead, CO9 3DF
People can also find out more information about the proposals through the National Grid website - www.nationalgrid.com/bramford-twinstead - and through a freephone helpline on 0800 377 7340.
National Grid is consulting on four route corridors:
Option 1: build a new overhead line from Bramford to Twinstead, running south west from Bramford, which would largely run parallel to an existing 400,000 volt National Grid line and a 132,000 volt line, owned by the local Distribution Network Operator, EDF Energy Networks
Option 2: build a new 400,000 volt line in place of the existing 132,000 volt overhead power line owned by EDF Energy Networks, which largely runs parallel with National Grid’s existing 400,000 volt line to Twinstead.
*Under option 2, to secure supplies for local electricity customers, replacement infrastructure will be required. National Grid is working with EDF Energy Networks to develop a solution. Work to date indicates that a new electricity substation, in the vicinity of the overhead line, between a point west of the power junction at Twinstead Tee and a point east of Castle Hedingham, would be needed.
Residents living in this area will be consulted about the route corridor options. If route option 2 is chosen, residents will be consulted about potential substation locations.
Option 3: route the new line north of Hadleigh and Boxford, heading south west towards Twinstead
Option 4: route the new line in a north western arc, heading north of Elmsett and Lindsey Tye and Edwardstone before heading south towards Twinstead
The company will also need to build new and extend some of its existing substations as well as rewire its existing overhead transmission lines.
Following feedback from the public consultation on the route corridor options, National Grid will show how the views of the public have been taken into account in deciding on a preferred route corridor option. The company will then develop a preferred route alignment – a specific potential route for an overhead line – within the preferred route corridor and further consultation and environmental surveys will be carried out.
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For further media information only, please contact Sara Wilcox, National Grid Media Relations, on 01926 655271