The Lake District is under threat from the largest planned electricity infrastructure project in the UK. 

Sign up to our campaign to send a message to National Grid and your MP via www.saynotopylonsinthelakedistrict.org.uk

National Grid wants to run a 400kV powerline using 50 metre tall pylons through 24km of beautiful Lake District National Park landscape affecting Ravenglass, Bootle, Silecroft and the communities around the Duddon including Broughton-in-Furness.

The pylons are the height of Nelson’s column and would be a dreadful addition to a national park currently engaged in a bid to win World Heritage Status.

National Grid is being asked to construct the powerlines to connect to a nuclear power plant at Moorside just north of Sellafield, the site chosen by the government in 2011 to host a nuclear power station.

We've got together with a number of influential partners has launched a campaign to stop these pylons being erected within the National Park, instead calling for power cables to be put underground.

We're urging people to write to National Grid, their MPs and Government to demand that cables are put underground where they cross the Lake District National Park.

Kate Willshaw, Policy Officer,

“This is not a case of preventing infrastructure development going ahead. There is an opportunity for everybody to benefit if we can persuade Government and National Grid that they can achieve the connection of the power station without compromising the natural beauty of the Lake District."

You'll find everything you need to know on our campaign page together with details of how you can join and email your MP.

National Grid is currently refusing to discuss underground mitigation for the line installation and has put forward only different pylon line routes within the National Park as ‘mitigation’.

Douglas Chalmers, Director,

“National Grid has said that the costs are too high to mitigate for the damage to the National Park by placing cables underground. If we were talking about solid rock and steep inclines they might have case, but this land includes arable fields and improved grassland which makes undergrounding easier and recovery much faster.

“Last year it was announced with great fanfare that Ofgem’s Visual Impact Provision project is to provide £500m to underground existing powerlines in other national parks.

“We’re simply asking National Grid to afford residents, visitors and those businesses that rely on the park and its stunning landscapes for their livelihoods a similar level of consideration and sensitivity.”

National Grid is holding 27 communication events along the proposed route to discuss their plans. They may be the last opportunity for people to have their say in person. National Grid has stated that it needs to make the decision on the technology used by the start of December 2015.

Join our campaign to send a message to National Grid and your MP via www.saynotopylonsinthelakedistrict.org.uk