£18 million Shropshire power line upgrade plans in hands of UK authority
A decision on whether to allow a new electricity line in north Shropshire is to be made by the national planning inspectorate.
Power company SP Energy Networks has officially submitted a planning application for its proposals to deliver an £18 million project to enhance the electricity network.
Following two years of design work and consultation with the local community, a Development Consent Order has been lodged with the Planning Inspectorate, which will consider the company’s plans to develop a new 132,000-volt wooden pole overhead line between Oswestry and Wem.
The North Shropshire Reinforcement Project will see a new wood-pole electricity line run from Oswestry substation, just off the A5 Oswestry bypass at the Whittington roundabout to the Wem substation, on Ellesmere Road on the western side of Wem.
SP Energy Networks says the line will boost capacity in the area to support development on land allocated for new jobs and homes in Oswestry, Whitchurch and Wem.
It will help to attract future business and housing investment across North Shropshire up to and beyond 2036, the company says.
Mark Sobczak, Head of 132kV Programmes at SP Energy Networks, said: "Investments like this are also critical to enable the electricity grid to be prepared for future innovations, such as the expected increase in electric vehicles and their chargers.
Consulted
“For two years we have been carefully shaping our plans for this very important upgrade project. We have consulted with hundreds of residents and business owners, and carried out detailed environmental and technical studies.
"Our proposals will significantly boost the capacity of the electricity network in North Shropshire, helping to support major economic developments in the area for decades to come.
"All of the information we received during the consultations helped to shape our final plans, and we would like to thank everyone who took the time to provide feedback.”
Copies of the application documents can be viewed online at infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/west-midlands/reinforcement-to-north-shropshire-electricity-distribution-network/ or at Shropshire Council or libraries in Oswestry, Ellesmere, Wem and Whitchurch.
It is anticipated that the Planning Inspectorate will make a decision on the plans by summer 2020. If approved, the company could begin construction of the overhead line in late 2020 and into 2021, with completion expected by summer 2022.
