Nailsea residents invited to join Hinkley Point forums

DESPITE widespread opposition to overhead cables National Grid intends to set up community forums to pinpoint the exact location of the pylons. NG is inviting local people to join one of the Hinkley Point Connection community forums which it says will help shape its plans for a new power line.

But those campaigning against the £600 million proposals to build 37-miles of cables across a beautiful rural landscape say NG hasn’t waited for the feedback from its second series of ‘consultations’.

Save Our Valley campaign secretary Sue Turner said: “A number of our supporters have received letters from NG inviting them to one of these meetings.

“NG said from the start that they would set up community groups to discuss the exact location of the cables but it is premature to be holding meetings when the route isn’t even known.”

The forums are for people to have their say on how we develop our proposals to connect the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station to the electricity network, say NG.

NG is holding two inception meetings on:

• Monday, July 19 at Scotch Horn Leisure Centre, Brockway, Nailsea; and

• Thursday, July 22 at Webbington Hotel, Barton Road, Loxton.

Both meetings will start at 6.30pm and will be chaired by a member of Planning Aid, the independent planning service.

NG say the purpose of meetings is to explain how the forums will work, how members of the public can register their interest in joining, and how they can influence the project.

Anyone wanting to attend one of the inception meetings should contact the NG project line on 0800 377 7347 by Thursday, July 15, to confirm their place.

Mrs Turner added: “As a group we will attend these initial meetings to find out what National Grid has planned but we are so frustrated by their so-called consultation to date that we’re very sceptical about whether we’ll want to join any community group.

“We are very fortunate that Save Our Valley, Save Nailsea West and the Nailsea Town Council are all working together to get the right result for our community.”

NG senior project manager Peter Bryant said: “We are looking for people who can represent their communities throughout the project.

“These forums will form an important part of our ongoing consultation with local communities and will help to influence our proposals during consultation and, if the project is approved, right through construction.”

NG says it is currently consulting on two potential route corridors which are broad widths of land through which an overhead line could be built.

It makes no mention of the alternatives of undersea or underground route favoured by the people affected by the proposals.

NG added that the deadline for feedback on these corridors is Friday, July 23, 2010 after which a preferred route corridor will be chosen and is expected to be announced in the autumn.

For further Information go to www.nationalgrid.com/hinkleyconnection or call the project helpline on 0800 377 7347.