Reinforcement to North Shropshire Electricity Distribution Network
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SP Energy Networks SUMMER 2016 Our community events and where to find out more Our events are a great opportunity to ask us any questions We have published a number of technical documents and maps you might have and find out more about the reinforcement that can give you more information on our proposals. These are Reinforcement to North Shropshire to the North Shropshire Electricity Distribution Network. available on our website and at the following locations: We look forward to meeting you there. Wem Library, Electricity Distribution Network: High Street, Wem, Shrewsbury SY4 5AA DATE LOCATION TIME 132,000 volt wood pole overhead line from Oswestry to Wem Cockshutt Millennium Hall, Wednesday Whittington Community Centre, 5.00pm – Cockshutt SY12 0JQ 13th July Oswestry SY11 4BS 8.00pm Oswestry Library, Have your say on plans Thursday Wem Town Hall, 3.30pm – Arthur Street, Oswestry SY11 1JN 14th July High Street, Wem SY4 5DG 7.30pm for a new electricity line Wem Town Council, Monday Cockshutt Millennium Hall, 3.30pm – Edinburgh House, New Street, Wem SY4 5DB for North Shropshire 18th July Cockshutt SY12 0JQ 7.30pm Ellesmere Library, Tuesday Hordley and Bagley Village Hall, 3.30pm – Fullwood House, Victoria Street, Ellesmere SY12 0AA 19th July Lower Hordley, Nr Ellesmere 7.30pm • New overhead line needed to support and enable SY12 9BQ Whitchurch Library, growth in North Shropshire High Street, Whitchurch SY13 1AX • Communities have important role in developing the line route Project timeline • Stage One Consultation open from 29th June to 9th September 2016 Establishing need for Stage One Development Final proposal Decision on project, assessment of Consultation of detailed developed and development SP Energy Networks is planning to invest £18m in order Route for the new line connection options and and feedback proposals application made consent to support and enable growth across North Shropshire. We need to find a suitable route for the new electricity developing route options review This investment is to reinforce the electricity distribution distribution line. Feedback from the local community will play network by constructing an overhead 132,000 volt an important role in assisting us to establish the final line route. wood pole line from Oswestry substation, located at the A5/A495 roundabout, to Wem substation, located on We have carried out a considerable amount of investigatory work Ellesmere Road on the western side of Wem. to look at and consider the location of communities, heritage features and other sensitive areas. From these investigations, 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 This line will provide capacity to support development we have developed a number of proposed routes that seek to /16 on land allocated for new jobs and homes in Oswestry, either avoid or mitigate impacts on these areas. Whitchurch and Wem in current planning forecasts to 2026. And it will attract future business and housing investment We now wish to open a consultation to enable people living in across North Shropshire through to and beyond 2036. the area to have their say about our proposals. This is stage one The new overhead line will reinforce the existing 33,000 volt of a two stage consultation. We will use your feedback together Refining Preliminary Stage Two Application Construction electricity distribution network by increasing the capacity with our assessments to establish the most appropriate route in route environmental consultation and considered (taking starts available throughout North Shropshire. order to reinforce the North Shropshire electricity distribution options assessments feedback review approx 18 months) network. Your views really can influence our work, so we strongly encourage you to take part in this consultation process. Contact us: COMMUNITY These proposals are good news. Shropshire Council has been pressing for Visit our website: www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/north_shropshire Give us a call: 0800 804 4666 investment in North Shropshire infrastructure, including Whitchurch, for a EVENTS number of years. With the new homes and employment sites proposed, Email us: [email protected] Write to us: FREEPOST SPEN NSR we are going to need the extra power. The North Shropshire reinforcement We are holding events in the local project will help our area realise its economic ambitions and ensure that area for people to view maps and we continue to enjoy a reliable electricity supply. As well as the different ways of accessing project information, displayed within their area. If you’d like any further copies or know to talk to our team. we’re sending a copy of this newsletter to residents, businesses of anyone else that would be interested in taking part in this Councillor Steve Charmley, See the back page for dates, and landowners and tenants in the consultation area. We’re consultation and would like further copies, such as businesses or Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Business and Economy times and locations. also sending it to local parish councils along with posters to be visitors to the area, please do not hesitate to get in touch. SP Energy Networks Our work so far – identifying route options Alternative 132,000 volt designs It is essential that we determine the most appropriate route for the proposed There are a range of different This design offers more flexibility in potential impacts on important sites, landowner requests when determining wood pole line and, in so doing, seek to minimise the impact on the area for technologies available for the new how we route the line than the other communities and properties. A Trident the best location for poles on site. landowners and the local communities. line, including steel pylons, heavy duty options, which helps in reducing design also assists us in addressing double wood poles and single wood We have undertaken a wide range of assessments to find options that we think pole Trident designs. best achieve this. We also considered placing the new line Where to reinforce the network entirely underground. However, this STEP was discounted due to cost and not During 2015, SP Energy Networks considered a number of alternative being the technically preferred option. overhead line routes from other substations at Legacy and Marchwiel Also, overhead lines are not generally near Wrexham, Crewe and Shrewsbury. These alternatives, however, considered incompatible in rural areas have been discounted due to technical suitability, costs and potential such as that covered by this project. 1 increased environmental impacts. The route from Oswestry to Wem Wood pole Trident design was considered most suitable. Following a review of the available options for this project, we are proposing to use a wood pole Trident Choosing route corridors design which would comprise mostly STEP single poles. We consider that this In the latter part of 2015 and early 2016, we considered the location design will have less of an impact on of villages and towns, the landscape, cultural heritage and other the area compared to the others and Steel pylons – Heavy duty double wood poles – Single wood pole Trident – environmental sensitivities to develop broad route corridors (broad will provide a better fit within the local approx. 26m approx. 15m approx. 12m ribbons of land) which we could route the line within. landscape. Indicative heights, actual heights can vary depending on design requirements 2 From our initial routeing work, we then identified two route corridors from Oswestry to Wem, each up to 1km wide, and assessed them to see which had the least impact overall. We have based our consultation zone on an area around these two route corridors to give What we’re consulting on – how your comments can influence our work local people in this area the opportunity to be involved. We’ve done lots of work to identify • The likely environmental impacts Using your feedback together with routes and would now like your local of the preferred line route and its our own assessments we can identify Identifying line routes knowledge and comments to check associated construction works, such a preferred line route that keeps any STEP the decisions we’ve made and develop as storage areas for equipment impacts as low as we can. We will More recently in 2016, we have carried out further work within the our proposals further. i.e. lay-down areas, and transport review our proposals in line with the overall preferred corridor to identify and then consider alternative • The other line route options that have information we receive and develop We’d like you tell us what effects you line route options. These alternative line routes are 100 metres been considered them further. We will consult again in wide at this stage, which enables flexibility for a more refined design think our proposals could have on the 2017 to get comments on a detailed • Any other aspects of this project at the next stage of our work. These line routes also include the local area, such as farming, communities, design which will include the locations 3 the landscape, wildlife, ecology and that you think SP Energy Networks land needed for constructing the overhead line (such as temporary of the poles. This will be a statutory should consider construction roads and lay-down areas). anything else you consider important. stage of consultation before making an • SP Energy Networks’ approach application for planning permission. Specifically, we are consulting on: to consultation Choosing a preferred line route • The preferred line route in terms of its location and limits We’d like your comments on all of these STEP things and would appreciate as much Following further assessment, we have now identified our detail as you can provide. preferred line route (shown on the map inside) – the option which we think is the preferred design to minimise likely effects on the environment.