Hinkley Connection Project

Presentation to Parish Council 16 March 2020

Michael Painter, National Grid Gillian Burnell, National Grid Agenda

01 Who we are

02 Hinkley Connection Project

03 In your area

04 Timeline

05 Questions

06 Our approach

07 Keep informed

National Grid 2 National Grid 3 02 Hinkley Connection Project

We are connecting people to low carbon energy. We're building an electricity connection: pylons, cables and substations between Hinkley Point and Seabank power stations. It will also mean we have more capacity on our network for renewable energy from the South West peninsular.

National Grid 4 Project overview

• 57 kilometres length - 48.5 km of overhead line - 8.5 km of underground cable through the AONB - Mostly T-pylon - Two substations • Removing 67 kilometres of WPD pylons

National Grid 5 03 In your area

Our work near Banwell includes:

• Installing underground cables across the Mendips • New substation near Sandford • T-pylons from Sandford to Avonmouth Insert pics • Removing WPD’s pylons and overhead line • Reinstatement and landscaping

National Grid 6 Larger/zoomable map available at: hinkleyconnection.co.uk/your-area/#sandford

National Grid 7 New substation

We’ve appointed Siemens to build a substation near Sandford: • Preparations included clearing the site in autumn to prevent animals and birds nesting in work areas • Balfour Beatty has nearly completed the temporary haul road from Towerhead to the site • Construction starts end of March 2020 and expected to be complete in early 2024 • First activities will be setting up site, installing staff welfare and office facilities

National Grid 8 Installing underground cables

Balfour Beatty is our contractor and work is progressing well:

• Main construction started in March 2019 - road accesses (A38 and A368) completed • Tarnock site compound complete • Haul road north of A368 to substation site nearly complete • Trenching started - twelve underground cables in four trenches (three cables per trench) approximately 1.6m wide by 1.1m deep • Using ducts to protect soil structure, minimise impacts on wildlife and environment and protect our staff • Significant archaeology finds at Max Mill Lane National Grid 9 Building T- Pylons

Balfour Beatty has been appointed to build the overhead line north to Avonmouth

• Main construction starts in early 2021 and expected to be complete in 2024 • First activities will be building road access and temporary haul road • Currently carrying out ground investigation surveys where the pylons, temporary haul road and accesses will be built • Other preparations over the coming months: ecological mitigation and clearing some vegetation and hedgerows, as well as erecting stock fencing

National Grid 10 Removing overhead lines

When the new substation at Sandford is operational and supplying power to WPD’s network, we’ll remove WPD’s pylons from the AONB – leaving this area pylon free for the first time since the 1960s • Pylons will be dismantled and removed • Foundations will be left in place to minimise disruption to local environment Pic of WPD pylon • Expected completion by 2025 • Balfour Beatty will carry out this work • In 2022, we will build short connections to the existing 132,000 volt overhead line to Weston- super-Mare and to the substation at Churchill. This will take around 12 months National Grid 11 04 Timeline

National Grid 12 Questions 05 Our approach – Traffic management

• Work to build temporary road accesses and haul road off A368 is essentially complete • Building the haul road allows us to move traffic directly off A roads – limiting use of local road network. Insert pics • Traffic will be routed directly from M5 (junction 22) along A38 to A368 • All construction vehicles are clearly identified with project stickers/signage

National Grid 14 05 Our approach - We want to be a good neighbour

Creating opportunities to talk and meet with residents and businesses. Before construction begins in each area, we’re: • Providing updated project briefings to parish and town councils • Writing to residents and businesses with updates • Holding drop-in events • Promoting our 24/7 community helpline

National Grid 15 05 Our approach - Care for the environment

Our experts make sure habitats, plants and animals are protected: • Surveying work areas for protected species and avoiding important habitats. • Encouraging protected species to move or physically moving them if habitat cannot be avoided • Creating buffer zones to avoid disturbing nesting protected birds and installing barn owl boxes • In the Mendips we’ve installed bat flyways to retain linear features such as hedgerows which bats use to navigate

National Grid 16 05 Our approach - Engineering positive futures Free STEM sessions for schools • KS1, KS2 & KS3 practical workshops

Hinkley Connection Education Fund • Funding to support 131,018 pupils and 538 schools (inc. Banwell and Primary Schools) • £354,000 awarded since 2018. Adult skills • 175 local unemployed people trained. 66 have secured employment.

Community Grant Fund • Over £200,000 to 12 community projects to date • Includes Winscombe Club, Town Hall and a community hall in Cheddar. National Grid 17 06 Keep informed

We value your interest in the project

Our dedicated community relations team is on hand to respond to queries and complaints.

• By telephone 0800 377 7347 (24 hours) • Via the website www.hinkleyconnection.co.uk • By email [email protected] • By post FREEPOST H POINT CONNECTION

National Grid 18