New Shropshire electricity line route is published

The scheme will see a 132,000 volt wood pole overhead line constructed from Oswestry to Wem, providing additional capacity in the region to support business investment and new residential developments.

SP Energy Networks, which is behind the project, has now published its proposed route following public consultation.

After receiving more than 120 responses, the company has issued a newsletter to more than 2,500 local homes and businesses which includes a map of the proposed new line.

It will run between Oswestry substation, located at the A5/A495 roundabout, and Wem substation, located on Ellesmere Road on the western side of Wem.

SP Energy Networks said the proposed route takes in to account the feedback received during the consultation.

Comments were received from residents in Cockshutt, including potential visual impacts in the area from property owners.

As a result of this feedback, the company has decided to follow a more southerly route which avoids greater impacts on any single property in the area.

People also commented on the potential impacts affecting the section of the line beside Hordley. Based on this feedback, SP Energy Networks has identified a preference for a new section altogether.

Mark Sobczak, head of 132kV programmes at SP Energy Networks, said: "This is one of the most significant upgrades to the electricity network ever proposed for north Shropshire.

"We want to ensure that the network is modern, reliable and capable of supporting opportunities for future growth.

"From the comments received during the first stage of consultation, we are pleased that there was generally a level of support for the way the process was run and most respondents considered they were given sufficient information in order to give informed feedback."

SP Energy Networks plans to build the new overhead line using a wood pole Trident design – a design which it said is a tried and tested, constructed most recently for reinforcing the electricity distribution network between Legacy substation and Oswestry substation.

Mr Sobczak added: "We have already carried out a considerable amount of investigatory work We will go back to speak with communities again with a stage two consultation during 2017., which will help us to finalise our plans before we submit a formal planning application in 2018."

The stage one consultation feedback report and the updated line route report are available to view at Edinburgh House in Wem, Cockshutt Millennium Hall and the libraries in Wem, Oswestry, Whitchurch and Ellesmere.