Mendip Hills

Current construction activity

Date from

Date to

Activity

October 2021

Winter 2023

Removing existing pylons 

May 2020

Winter 2022

T-pylons between Bridgwater substation and Loxton

May 2020

Winter 2023

Access to footpaths and rights of way

April 2019

2024

Underground cables through the Mendips AONB

2018

Ongoing

Roadworks and traffic management

Overview – Winter 2023

Work to instal 8.5 kilometres of 400,000 volt underground cables under the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is complete.

The cables are connected to the new line of T-pylons between Bridgwater and Loxton and ready for energisation. Reinstatement of the land along the cable route is underway and will be completed in 2024.

We’re pleased to be putting 8.5 kilometres of the Hinkley Connection route underground through this very special landscape of the Mendip Hills in response to community feedback received during consultation. By doing so, we are leaving this part of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty free of pylons for the first time in almost 100 years.

Thank you from everyone working on the project for your patience and understanding as we progress with this vital work to connect six million homes and businesses to new sources of homegrown, low carbon energy, and help the UK meet its net zero ambitions.

Register to receive project updates direct to your inbox.

Take a look at our detailed map

Mendip Hills timeline

Early 2019 to early 2024

 

Build Mendip Hills 400,000 volt underground cable

Work started in this area in April 2019.

What we're doing:

  • Advance landscaping and planting around the location of the new cable sealing end (CSE) compound.

  • Building temporary entrances and access roads to allow construction traffic to enter site from the local highway. You can find more information on our construction information page.

  • Installing a temporary site office and temporary construction compound north of Tarnock, and up to four secondary temporary construction compounds along the route to minimise traffic movements on site. One of these secondary compounds will be located immediately south of the new CSE compound.

  • Constructing a new CSE compound east of the M5 motorway to the south of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the River Axe.

  • Laying 8.5 km of 400,000 volt underground cables from the CSE compound south of the Mendip Hills AONB northwards to the new Sandford substation.

Mid 2021 to mid 2022

 

Remove existing 132,000 volt overhead line

What we're doing:

  • Removing existing overhead line from Bridgwater Substation to the A368 in Sandford. This will make way for, and minimise the visual impact of the new overhead line.