It's not easy being green

18 October 2010

There were mixed results for countryside campaigners as energy secretary Chris Huhne today set out the government's policy for energy. CPRE campaigners are celebrating the shelving of plans for two nuclear power stations in the Lake District, but warn that more needs to be done to stop the march of electricity pylons across our most important landscapes.

The department for energy and climate change (DECC) has dropped Kirkstanton and Braystones, Cumbria, as proposed sites for new nuclear power stations, declaring both 'unsuitable sites' for such development. CPRE had criticised the inclusion of these sites on the grounds that their proximity to the Lake District National Park, their status as greenfield sites and the fact that they would require large electricity pylons in undeveloped landscapes made them inappropriate locations for major development.

Dustin Benton, CPRE senior energy policy officer, says: "This decision shows the government is listening to local people and is taking seriously the need to protect outstanding landscapes. The UK does need to find a viable solution to meeting our long term energy needs but we must not allow this to force us into environmentally damaging solutions."

However, campaigners also wanted a firmer commitment from Ministers to remove energy pylons from National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Paul Miner, CPRE senior planning officer, says: "The responses to the government consultation showed overwhelming public support for removing pylons from our most valued landscapes. But the statement released by DECC doesn't give a clear commitment to undergrounding energy lines or stopping future pylons being put up. This means that some of our finest landscapes in the Lake District, Somerset and Suffolk are still under threat from hundreds of new, 50m high pylons.

"This government is committed to being the 'greenest government ever'. Removing the ugly metal towers from our finest landscapes would be a good place to start."