Representations Recieved

PDNPA Planning Committee Thursday 14th May 2020 Trans Pennine Trail diversion, Dunford Bridge (NP/B/0819/0885)

Friends of the Peak District strongly support National Grid’s proposals for undergrounding 2km of overhead transmission lines and 8 pylons at Dunford. It is a major opportunity to enhance the Peak District National Park and its setting and to enhance the openness of the Barnsley Green Belt. Coupled with improvements to the existing car park these proposals will create a distinctive eastern gateway to the Park.

The major landscape, tranquillity and visual amenity benefits would fulfil national park purposes and would allow National Grid to fulfil its section 62 duty and the Holford and Horlock Rules. Such benefits also meet with the requirements of the NPA’s and Barnsley’s Local Plan Policies. The removal of the hugely intrusive sealing end compound above the Woodhead tunnels is especially welcome. The replacement sealing end compound would be lower in the landscape and well screened by trees and scrub, with its impacts more than compensated for by the dramatic improvements further west.

We believe that National Grid has addressed the objections to the scheme. The permanent benefits from the proposed project would not be achieved without some significant adverse effects of construction but these are temporary and reversible, and measures have been adopted to limit and mitigate them. 

The Trans Pennine Trail would be restored and continue to be safeguarded for rail reinstatement, if this should arise in the future. 

37 Stafford Road    Sheffield  S2 2SF

  Tel: (0114) 312 2002 mail@friendsofthepeak.org.uk mail@cpresouthyorks.org.uk

President: Dame Fiona Reynolds

CPRE South Yorkshire and Friends of the Peak District are run by the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Peak District and South Yorkshire for the countryside, for communities, for the future www.friendsofthepeak.org.uk    Registered Charity No.1094975  Registered Company No. 4496754

There has been great concern about the impacts of the proposals on wildlife but National Grid has worked hard to achieve a net gain in biodiversity of nearly 12%. Options to achieve net gain on site are limited but by enhancing habitats offsite at Hazelwood Wind Farm at Crow Edge, an overall net loss in biodiversity of 20.60% postdevelopment would give a net gain in biodiversity of 12% . This calculation excludes the mitigation measures on site, offsite tree planting of 5,900 trees at two farms near Penistone and willow tit enhancement near to the sealing end compound.

The small loss of habitat from the Wogden Foot Local Wildlife Site is acceptable to us for the substantial landscape and amenity benefits that would be achieved. 

We urge the Authority to approve the application and recommend its approval to Barnsley Council. 

Anne Robinson for Friends of the Peak District