Electricity North West is removing hundreds of metres of overhead power lines and electricity poles around Dalefoot near Bampton at a cost of £325,000.

You can see images of the work in our Facebook album

Electricity North West in action... (if you have trouble viewing, click here to view on our Vimeo web page)

By the time the current programme finishes in 2023 approximately 37 km of electricity power lines, costing over £4 million, will have been undergrounded in the Lake District National Park alone. The Dalefoot scheme will remove over 2 kilometres of high voltage overhead line and approximately 200m of low voltage overhead line in the National Park.

The work is funded by an undergrounding allowance from the regulator Ofgem, forming part of an 8 year programme.

Lake District National Park Authority, assisted by Friends of the Lake District, identify which electricity lines intrude most on the beautiful landscapes of the National Park. The most feasible schemes are then submitted to Electricity North West to be incorporated into the undergrounding programme.

Our Overhead Wires Officer, Amanda McCleery, said:

“This may be a more remote part of the Lake District National Park but nonetheless the poles and wires can stand out against the skyline in this open landscape. 

“Friends of the Lake District are always pleased to see negative impacts, such as these, removed from a landscape. 

“We appreciate the hard work put into these undergrounding schemes by multiple staff within Electricity North West, from when the site is first surveyed to when the last pole is taken down.”

Paul McGonigle, Programme Delivery Manager for Electricity North West, said:

“We’re delighted to be able to enhance the local landscape by removing these power lines and poles so everyone can enjoy this beautiful part of Cumbria.

“Our electricity network is vital to ensure our customers across the North West receive a reliable power supply to their homes and businesses, but we do understand that sometimes it can impact the local landscape.

“We’re committed to working with the communities in which we operate and we continue to work closely with the Lake District National Park Authority to help further protect this stunning area.”

Chris Greenwood, on behalf of the Lake District National Park Authority, said:

“The beautiful landscape across the Lake District is an important resource and we must do what we can to ensure that essential services, like the power network, are delivered in a way that doesn’t detract from our most sensitive landscapes.

“Working closely with Electricity North West to remove these overhead lines is an important part of that process.”