Sir, – Your readers may recall the extensive public inquiries 20 years ago into National Grid’s 400kV powerline from Teesside to York. Unprecedented numbers of landowners refused to grant voluntary wayleaves. The public opposition group REVOLT worked in collaboration with the several local authorities involved in representing objections at inquiries and hearings over several years.

Now it’s coming up again, as the 15-year compulsory wayleaves imposed on landowners from 1998 are up for renewal from March next year. Landowners are considering their options.

Renewable energy policy increasingly places heavier demands on the grid. It would seem unrealistic now to expect to have this line removed, buried or re-routed. There may however be grounds for complaint about practical matters such as entry, notice, identification, tree lopping, noise and so on.

There is also the threat of yet more powerlines. A new “Dogger Bank Teesside” converter station is proposed, to land some 4GW of offshore wind power from the North Sea. This will need a new 400kV National Grid substation (as well as the converter station) in an undisclosed location and most likely new 400kV lines in North Yorkshire. That could be avoided if more power were landed at Humberside.

REVOLT would be pleased to hear from all concerned at www.revolt.co.uk and may convene a local public meeting to exchange views.

MIKE O’CARROLL

Chairman of Revolt Welbury, Northallerton.