Going underground: the process explained
The North Wessex Downs VIP project aims to remove up to 13 pylons from the landscape and replace them with a 4km section of underground cables.
Subject to receiving planning consent, before we are able to remove the pylons up to 12 separate cables may need to installed underground.
These will have to be spaced apart for good heat dissipation. This means that we may require a construction working area around 60m wide. This area will include a temporary ‘haul road’ down which HGVs can pass to deliver the cables on large drums alongside the sub soil and topsoil mounds.
The new cables would be buried just below deep ploughing depth (about 1.2m).
Once installed, the retained topsoil would be put back and the land returned to its original state. National Grid would work with the North Wessex Downs AONB to ensure that the restoration of the original landscape was carefully managed to ensure its success.
The images below show some of the work in progress on our scheme in the Dorset AONB.
