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Makeover for Longdendale Valley trails to increase accessibility
Walkers, cyclists and horse riders in the Longdendale Valley can look forward to more beautiful views and greater levels of accessibility in the coming years. Three national trails are set to receive an upgrade courtesy of a £200,000 grant secured by the Peak District National Park to help enhance access by creating disabled friendly circular routes and to reduce the visual impact of electricity transmission lines running through the valley.
The grant has been allocated as part of National Grid’s Landscape Enhancement Initiative (LEI), which has set aside up to £24 million to support small-scale landscape projects in the 30 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and National Parks across England and Wales that contain existing National Grid electricity infrastructure.
Over a three year period, work will be carried out along three popular national trails – the Pennine Way, the Pennine Bridleway and the Trans-Pennine Trail – to reduce the visual effects of electricity pylons in the Longdendale Valley. The funds will also enable the Peak District National Park Authority to enhance access along the valley, particularly for users with a disability and for horse riders.
To refocus views away from the pylons, a number of new circular routes will be established as an alternative to the existing routes that follow the transmission line. Work will also be carried out to screen the line, including selective planting of locally-appropriate tree and shrub species, selective vegetation clearance and management and new seating areas, which will be specially designed to ensure they are inclusive for visitors with disabilities.
Rob Meetham, landscape architect, for the Peak District National Park, said: “As the UK’s original national park, the Peak District National Park is world-renowned for its spectacular scenery and beautiful landscapes, and we are pleased to have the opportunity through the support of the Landscape Enhancement Initiative to improve the access and enhance the experience for all those wanting to get out and explore the area.
“These improvements will provide opportunities for local people and visitors alike to experience and enjoy a more natural and wild landscape. We hope that our new disabled-accessible circular routes will enable new people to visit the area and experience the beautiful views for which the Longdendale Valley is known.”
The LEI is part of the Visual Impact Provision project, which will make use of a £500 million allowance made available by Ofgem until 2021. The North York Moors National Park and High Weald AONB also received funding in this round of awards. In addition, National Grid is progressing plans under this allowance to replace existing overhead lines with underground cables in four protected landscapes.*
Environmentalist and broadcaster Chris Baines, who chairs the Visual Impact Provision project’s national Stakeholder Advisory Group, said: “Through the LEI we hope to make a positive contribution towards preserving and enhancing the natural beauty, landscape character, cultural heritage, wildlife and biodiversity in England and Wales’ most precious landscapes.
“It was pleasing to see applications for the funding from so many inspiring projects. I look forward to watching their progress as they work to help to make these beautiful areas even more enjoyable to visit.”
In June 2017, the next round of the LEI will be open for expressions of interest. Further information on who can apply and how to do it can be found at lei.nationalgrid.com.
Picture caption: Views and access in the Longdendale Valley will be improved with the grant from National Grid
About the Peak District National Park
The Peak District National Park is the UK’s original national park designated on 17 April, 1951. It covers 555 square miles between the great northern cities of Manchester and Sheffield, encompassing the Dark Peak’s gritstone moorlands, the White Peak’s limestone plateau and dales, and the moors and foothills of the South West Peak. It is protected by law to safeguard the naturally beautiful environment and wildlife, and to make sure that people benefit from the area in sustainable ways.
*About Visual Impact Provision
All electricity transmission owners are funded by a price control mechanism which is agreed with and set by Ofgem, the electricity and gas markets regulator. Ofgem has agreed a set of price controls and incentives for the period from April 2013 to March 2021. The new price controls and incentives include a provision of £500 million to mitigate the visual impact of existing electricity infrastructure in nationally protected landscapes in Great Britain.
For National Grid, which is the electricity transmission owner in England and Wales, this means considering the visual amenity of our existing infrastructure in National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).
About National Grid
National Grid is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world and was named Responsible Business of the Year 2014 by Business in the Community. This accolade acknowledges all of our efforts in getting involve with the things that really matter to us and to society. We own and manage the grids that connect people to the energy they need, from whatever the source. In Britain and the north-eastern states of the US we run systems that deliver gas and electricity to millions of people, businesses and communities.
In Britain, we run the gas and electricity systems that our society is built on, delivering gas and electricity across the country. In the North Eastern US, we connect more than seven million gas and electric customers to vital energy sources, essential for our modern lifestyles.
National Grid in the UK
National Grid own the high-voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales, operating it across Great Britain.
They own and operate the high pressure gas transmission system in Britain. Their gas distribution business delivers gas to 10.9 million homes and businesses. They also own a number of related businesses including LNG importation, land remediation and metering National Grid manages the National Gas Emergency Service free phone line on behalf of the industry – 0800 111 999 (all calls are recorded and may be monitored).
Their portfolio of other businesses is mainly concerned with infrastructure provision and related services where they can exploit our core skills and assets to create value. These businesses operate in areas such as Metering, Grain LNG Import, Interconnectors and Property. National Grid Carbon Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of National Grid. It undertakes Carbon Capture Storage related activities on behalf of National Grid.
Find out more about the energy challenge and how National Grid is helping find solutions to some of the challenges they face at www.nationalgridconnecting.com. National Grid undertakes no obligation to update any of the information contained in this release, which speaks only as at the date of this release, unless required by law or regulation.
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