Mendip Hills
Current construction activity
| Date from | Date to | Activity |
| May 2020 | Ongoing | T-pylons and reinstatement between Bridgwater substation and Loxton |
| May 2020 | Ongoing | Access to footpaths and rights of way |
| April 2019 | Ongoing | Underground cables and reinstatement through the Mendips AONB |
| 2018 | Ongoing | Roadworks and traffic management |
Overview – Autumn 2024
In March 2023, 8.5 kilometres of new 400,000 volt underground cable, under the National Landscape of the Mendip Hills, was energised along with the section of new T-pylons between Bridgwater and Loxton; becoming part of the UK electricity transmission network.
Work is ongoing to remove temporary haul roads, road accesses, bridges and culverts that were built to construct the underground cables and reinstate the land. This will continue all through 2025.
We are pleased to have been able to underground this section of the Hinkley Connection Project through this very special landscape in response to community feedback received during consultation. By doing so, we are leaving this part of the Mendip Hills 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 important 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.
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.
Completed mid 2022
Removal of existing 132,000 volt overhead line
This work has been completed.
Work carried out:
- Removed existing overhead line from Bridgwater Substation to the A368 in Sandford. This made way for, and minimised the visual impact of the new overhead line.