GridLineNational Grid Transco Newsletter for National Grid Transco electricity grantors Winter 2004/2005 Warning on bogus agents THE Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has warned about bogus “agents” operating around the country. It says these agents have been cold-calling landowners and farmers and subjecting them to high pressure sales techniques to persuade them to agree to pay a fee of 20 per cent of any wayleave payments they obtain on the owner’s Last year’s British national ploughing champions Don Woodhouse, left from Retford, Nottinghamshire, and behalf. Andrew Mitchell (senior), centre, from Forfar, Angus. Field wayleave officer Richard Evans presents the The CLA’s head of rural trophies.This year’s championships will be at Soham in Cambridgeshire. See pages 10/11. economy and chief surveyor, Oliver Harwood, said: “Many of these agents are not professionally qualified and We’re making there is no need to pay a third party such a large part of the payments which are properly due to the owner under the agreements CLA a big show! negotiates with the major utility companies. HOWTIME is just around the corner! We kick “We hope that members of our Grantors “In many cases, our Soff our agricultural relations programme in Club will join us for tea, coffee and a chat — members are best advised May at the Devon County Show in Exeter, all they have to do is wear their swing to secure the full payment which last year attracted more than 90,000 badges.” for themselves by following visitors. *Not available between 12-2.30pm. our guidance* and writing Over the following months, we look forward Come and meet us at: to the utility concerned, or to welcoming grantors at another 10 venues, ● Devon County Show, Exeter, May 19-21 to use their own trusted agent.” culminating with the National Ploughing ● South of England Show, Ardingly, West Championships at Soham in Cambridgeshire in Sussex, June 9-11 If you need more information about your October. ● East of England Show, Peterborough, June existing arrangements with During last year’s programme, we welcomed 17-19 NGT, or wish to consider around 3,000 grantors and guests for lunch, ● Lincolnshire Show, Lincoln, June 22 and 23 and many more joined us for free refreshments converting your wayleave ● Royal Highland Show, Edinburgh, June 23-26 at our hospitality facility*. to an easement in return ● Great Yorkshire Show, Harrogate, July 12-14 for a one-off payment, “We have been urging grantors to come and ● contact your local wayleave meet us at agricultural shows since 1996 — New Forest Show, Brockenhurst, officer as listed on the back we see the occasions as valuable opportunities Hampshire, July 26-28 page of GridLine. for them to drop in and meet their local ● Royal Lancashire Show, Ribchester, July 26-28 wayleave contact,” said Alan Naylor, field ● Pembrokeshire Show, Haverfordwest, *Download advice on wayleave manager. August 16-18 wayleave payments from the CLA website — “We also welcome their feedback because ● Dorset Show, Dorchester, September 3-4 www.cla.org.uk under it’s a useful way they can help us improve our ● National Ploughing Championships, Guidance Notes. service to them. Cambridgeshire, October 8-9. 2 NEWS NEWS 3 Light at the end of Dartford cable tunnel Workers told to Changes THE Dartford 400kV cable tunnel and switchgear contract, has started NGT’s Scott Sadler, project manager, project is moving towards completion. work on the installation of two 275kV said: “The achievement of this important for centres This multi-million scheme was circuits in the new tunnel. These will project milestone has needed NGT is to focus future support launched in 2003 and is on target for replace two 275kV circuits removed considerable effort by all parties watch the birdie on six of its current 12 final commissioning in June 2005. from beneath the road deck of the west involved, with both our tunnel contractor environmental education The new 2.4km tunnel, which runs Dartford road tunnel. AMEC and NGT site supervision IGHTINGALES don’t centres. It will work closely with from Littlebrook in Kent to Thurrock in Introducing the new tunnel means consultant Babties working extended Njust sing in Berkeley partner organisations to improve services and raise greater Essex, was commissioned by NGT’s future maintenance can be carried out hours to achieve the October deadline. Square — they also sing in awareness of energy education. civil engineering contractor AMEC in without affecting traffic flow on “It means we can now look forward to the woods of Whisby October. London’s orbital motorway network. an overall completion date this summer, Nature Park near Lincoln. The company hopes that the The tunnel contract was worth around The tunnel will also significantly increase and with the commissioning of the two Which is why NGT will be remaining six centres will continue their work delivering £20 million. the security of major and important circuits reinstate an important part of the taking care not to disturb their habitat and nesting environmental education in their ABB, which has the £12 million cable National Grid Transco assets. NGT system.” activities when it undertakes areas. In future, NGT’s support a multi-million pound to these centres will be in the refurbishment of the West form of continued rent-free Burton to Walpole line in access to the land and 2005. buildings. The company’s External relations manager contractors, Balfour Beatty Ross Hayman said: “The Power Networks, is due to environmental centres were set start refurbishing the whole up at different times over the last of the 90-kilometre 400kV 30 years at electricity substation overhead line from West sites and some are now far from Burton near Retford in where our employees are based. Nottinghamshire to Walpole “The six we intend to near Wisbech in concentrate on are close to Cambridgeshire in March. either our own main office Completion is expected by locations or to major population the end of the year. centres. Although we won’t The work will involve the continue to provide funding to replacement of quad the other six, we hope they’ll be conductors on the line with able to take advantage of a new triple set and there continued use of the sites and to will be upgrading of be able to utilise their some of the pylon independence to expand their foundations and markets.” replacement of all Teaming up… Graham, left, and Robin The six supported centres are tower fittings and any INSET: A nightingale in full song — PICTURE COLIN CARVER Bishops Wood, near faulty steelwork. grantors. However, on Whisby Nature Park’s Kidderminster, Worcestershire, “Tree cutting work at the outskirts of assistant warden Grahame Iver near Slough, Penwortham Whisby will be Lincoln, the line also Hopwood said: near Preston, Skelton Grange A worker is dwarfed by the cable, which arrived in 950-metre lengths on 63 drums, each weighing 44.5 tonnes undertaken outside the crosses the Nature “Nightingales are one of the near Leeds, West Boldon near nesting period and the Park, Lincoln Golf Centre most important breeding Newcastle and Canterbury. erection and dismantling of and a busy road junction of species at Whisby, with a railway scaffold and the the A46 with a tower visitors coming from as far London Connection changing of the wires will be situated in the car park of away as Yorkshire and Pupils get a done in two stages, before the Gamekeeper Pub at Cheshire to see and hear nesting starts and after it North Hykeham outside the birds. By working has finished,” said field Lincoln. closely with all parties helping hand completion on target wayleave officer Robin “We will be working concerned, we have come NGT came to the rescue after O’Brien. closely with everyone up with a work programme vandals ruined a wildlife pond at HE countdown is on to the completion Europe. The cable arrived in 950-metre services. These include ventilation, “On the whole, the line concerned to ensure this that ensure the nightingales Windhill Primary School in of one of the biggest projects lengths on 63 drums, each weighing 44.5 communications, temperature sensing T crosses high-quality large scheme causes as can breed with the absolute Shipley, West Yorkshire. undertaken by National Grid Transco. tonnes gross and measuring 4.5 metres systems, gas and fire detection and a farmland owned by 135 little disruption as possible.” minimum of disturbance.” The pupils were devastated diameter, to the installation sites at monorail mounted tunnel inspection The £200 million scheme — known as when the pond they had Elstree, Hertfordshire and Cricklewood in vehicle. The London Connection — will reinforce designed and created north London. electricity supplies to the capital and has Two new 400kV substations are being Pylon perfect for peregrine perch themselves was vandalised involved the construction of a 20- Cable — designed to require low built at existing National Grid Transco In the last issue of GridLine, we Mannington substation in shortly before its unveiling. kilometre tunnel running from Elstree in maintenance — was pulled off the cable sites at Elstree and St John’s Wood and featured a story about the efforts Wimborne and Chickerell NGT — which was working Hertfordshire to St John’s Wood in north drums by winches at a rate of about 20 five new transformers have already been made by National Grid Transco substation in Weymouth. near the school refurbishing its London. metres a minute, or 1,200 metres an installed. and its contractors to protect About three kilometres of the network of underground hour. Launched in March 2000, the project is The three-metre diameter tunnel runs nesting peregrine falcons during line crosses the northern part of transmission cables — stepped on target for completion at the end of The new tunnel, all seven tunnel shafts at an average depth of 27 metres and a refurbishment project in the Army’s Bovington Training in and came up with the funds to 2005.