Mid Wales Electricity Connection (N Grid)

Enquiry received via post

Mid Wales Electricity Connection (N Grid)

23/08/2012
B Walton

Ymholiad

Letter received from B Walton regarding National Grid's announcement of the preferred substation location and route corridor.

Cyngor a roddwyd

The Planning Inspectorate provided the following advice and advice notes 8.1 and 8.2 were enclosed with the response:
I note that you are aware of National Grid?s recent announcement regarding the proposed substation siting area and the preferred electric line route corridor from Cefn Coch, via Llansantffraid, to Lower Frankton in Shropshire.
The electric line proposal is currently in the pre-application stage of the process and therefore has not yet been formally submitted to the Planning Inspectorate. Until an application is formally submitted, the developer is your first point of contact for any comments you have on the proposal. Responding to the developer?s pre-application consultation is the best approach to influence a project, whether you agree with it, disagree with it, or believe it could be improved. I would therefore encourage you to make any comments you have to National Grid (the developer). Please note that the substation aspect of the scheme will not be considered by the Planning Inspectorate, due to devolution in Wales, but is likely to be determined by the local authority.
Before formally consulting people living in the vicinity of the electric line project, the developer will prepare a Statement of Community Consultation (SOCC), having first consulted relevant local authorities about what it should contain. The SOCC will detail the consultation the developer intends to undertake with the local community about their project. The developer is then required to carry out their consultation with the local community as set out in the SOCC. To confirm, the developer has yet to undertake formal SOCC consultation for the electric line proposal, however as you may be aware they have already undertaken some consultation on this scheme.
Once the electric line application is submitted and if it is accepted to proceed to examination, there will be an opportunity for people to register with the Planning Inspectorate to have their say. By registering at the appropriate time you will then be asked to outline your comments to the Examining Authority.
The Planning Inspectorate is currently aware of three wind farm proposals in Powys that would be determined under the same process. Again at the pre-application stage of the process the developer is your first point of contact.