Man’s plea to move power line

A MAN is urging a power company to replace an overhead line in his street with an underground cable.

Max Bernard says views from his front garden in Ellery Rise, Frieth, have been spoiled after a new wire and wooden pole were installed a few metres from his door.

He claims this is inappropriate development in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has asked Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, which is responsible for electrical infrastructure, to remove it.

There has always been one pole on the verge in front of his house which carries the power line and telephone wires for the entire street.

The second, just a few metres away, was installed more recently to supply a neighbouring property when the owner extended it.

It draws a line from an overhead transformer on the other side of the road and Mr Bernard says the resultant “mess” of cables across the skyline deterred buyers when he tried to sell his home.

He claims it reduced the

value of his property by £20,000 so should be replaced with an underground link and a transformer at ground level.

He said: “It’s incredible that they’re allowed to do this and they should have gone underground in the first place. They were just going with the cheapest option and not respecting anyone except the shareholder.”

SSEN says it understands his concerns but must spend money responsibly as a regulated business and is now maintaining lines on the street to make them more reliable for everyone.

It says Mr Bernard would have to pay for the cable to be moved and a third party would have to give permission to access their land.