What are National Grid’s objections to undergrounding or re-routeing of lines if the developer is prepared to meet all the costs?
As a general rule, any changes to National Grid’s assets that are in response to a developer’s request to move or underground an existing asset would be entirely at the developer’s cost. However cost is not the only issue in deciding whether it is appropriate to underground or re-route an existing overhead line route. Other environmental and technical issues also have to be taken into account. We would prefer to see developers consulting with National Grid at an early stage in the planning process to find more innovative and sustainable solutions. We believe that by adopting a holistic approach in the early stages of site planning and design, developers and local authorities can overcome the constraints of developing land near high voltage overhead lines and can create positive, high quality environments.
