NATIONAL Grid has come under fresh attack over its plans for a massive corridor of pylons across the Somerset Levels.

As reported in the Weekly News, National Grid is considering how best to connect the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power station to an electricity substation at Avonmouth.

Campaigners have pleaded for the firm to choose underground cables instead of overhead pylons, which they say would destroy the landscape, but National Grid fears the underground option would be too expensive.

It has been carrying out a consultation on undergrounding, which closes on July 4, and it will publish a revised approach later this summer – well before the findings of a major independent report by the Institution of Engineering and Technology into undergrounding costs are released.

Duncan McGinty, leader of Sedgemoor District Council, which is set to publish its response to the National Grid undergrounding consultation today, said: “We think this is putting the cart before the horse.

“The Government has commissioned this rather expensive study into alternative means of electricity transmission which we hoped would be a key part of National Grid’s thinking.

“By pushing ahead now before this report is available, it looks like National Grid are ignoring local feelings.

"This is a really huge project which you cannot afford to get wrong.”

The IET report had been set to be published this summer but has been delayed until later this year.

Hector Pearson, National Grid stakeholder and policy manager, said: “We would have liked to have had access to the final analysis of undergrounding costs before we further developed our new approach.

“When the IET study is available we will look very carefully at the final analysis of undergrounding costs and review its approach in light of any new findings.”

Click on the link by this story to take part in the consultation.