Public meeting to oppose power line
Residents in North Somerset are being urged to attend a public meeting to oppose a planned new power line.
The meeting is being organised by the Save Our Valley (SOV) group who are fighting to stop the National Grid from constructing a 400 000 volt power line through Backwell, Nailsea and Wraxall.
The 400,000 volt lines will link the proposed Hinkley C Nuclear Power Station to a sub-station at Avonmouth.
Local MP and Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox will be in attendance to host a question and answer session.
Having initially left Nailsea out of the consultation process, the National Grid will be sending representatives to the public meeting despite having finally booked the same venue the day before for a public consultation.
Photo: Save Our Valley
Wraxall countryside as it could look with power line
Though the power lines will run through privately owned agricultural land, landowners cannot stop the National Grid from constructing the power lines as the company has compulsory purchase powers.
Spokeswoman for SOV, Sue Turner said: “National Grid have finally agreed to come to our meeting after a lot of procrastination and persuasion. We are delighted Dr Fox is going to host the question and answer session and he has been very supportive of our cause.
“At first National Grid refused to come to our meeting, then we found out they’d booked their exhibition the day before ours, presumably hoping people wouldn’t go out two nights in a row. It feels like underhand tactics by a national company and we hope people will come to both.”
A fighting fund has been set up to stop the power line proposal.
The fund could be supported by the Wraxall and Failand Parish Council, who are are holding a referendum to put £50,000 to stop the Weston Road Failand development as well as the National Grid power lines.
SOV campaigners will also be protesting at the Scotch Horn Centre in Nailsea on Thursday 26 November at the National Grid’s own exhibition.
The SOV public meeting will be at the Scotch Horn Centre on Friday 27 November at 7.30pm.
For more information visit: www.save-our-valley.co.uk
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