Northern Powergrid Funding : TO IMPROVE ROOKHOPE LANDSCAPE BY UNDERGROUNDING POWER LINES

Northern Powergrid, the company responsible for the electricity network that keeps the lights on for 3.9 million homes and businesses across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, is set to improve the local landscape in Rookhope.

The electricity distributor is spending £350,000 to underground around 2km of overhead power lines which will enhance local scenery in and around the rural community and improve the reliability of electricity supply for local people.

The scheme is part of Northern Powergrid's commitment to underground, where possible, parts of its network in protected landscapes and National Parks. The electricity distributor is set to deliver a £15 million investment as part of its current eight year business plan which will see the undergrounding of some 100km of overhead power lines in the four National Parks and five designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in its operating area.

Steve McDonald, Head of Programme Delivery at Northern Powergrid, said: 'We've been working in partnership with North Pennines AONB to create a viable scheme to underground around two kilometres of our overhead power network in Rookhope. Not only will the work improve the village landscape and views, it will also bring a new, modern underground cable network to improve the quality and reliability of electricity supply for the local community.

'We'll be sharing our finalised plans with stakeholders and consulting with the local community with residents being invited to a meeting at the Parish Hall where we will openly discuss what the proposed work, which is due to start in April, will entail and provide reassurance of how we will work to minimise any disruption.'