General Chat

Immediate construction of 106 Electricity Pylons 26.5m tall will commence very shortly. The route they take passes within 30 meters of Marble Street, Didcot, Oxfordshire. Oxfordshire regional energy directive B4R/334-67 in accordance with the 'Energy strategy for the future' development programme has authorised the expansion of the local grid. The new series of 106 pylons stretching for 9 miles will be spaced 500m apart and will follow adjacent to the public highway Marble Street. The new pylons are required to service the extra demand on the National Grid due to the expansion of the Didcot. The Oxfordshire town planners feel that this is the only path for the new pylons can take. Pylons such as these allegedly give out an electro magnetic field which can be very harmful to humans. Government studies indicate this can cause: Hair loss Noise pollution Fertility loss House Depreciation Car Battery Depletion Dog hearing and irritation Anal Warts Unruly Children However this council does not recognise some or all of the findings of the research done into power cable car battery depletion and loss of sexual drive. Council spokesman Reginald Taper did admit unwittingly that 'unfortunately anal warts and unruly children go part and parcel with power lines'. By law they must notify in writing the effects of having a large electromagnetic power cable suspended above residents home. The town planners are looking to rush this new construction of a series of 26.5 meter high pylon within 4 weeks and residents need to act fast should they wish to appeal against it. Every home owner or occupant will be either notified by letter of the planning and erection of the pylon or notices will be posted in local papers concerning. The plans will also be available for inspection at the nearest office of planning.

Didcot is host to two power stations – the 2,000MW dual-fired A station and the 1,360MW combined cycle gas turbine B station. Together the two power stations are capable of producing enough electricity to meet the needs of over 3 million people – equivalent to the demand of three counties the size of Oxfordshire. Unfortunately this requires a lot of high voltage power lines to take the power away from Didcot to where it is needed. Perhaps an alternative is to demolish the streets and houses that are considered to be to close to the transmission lines, other than that I am at a loss what to suggest. Alternatively we could erect more wind turbines, typically these produce about 2 MW each, so by a rough calculation there would need to be 1680 turbines required to replace Didcot's two stations.

Dreadful- how can they put those things by peoples homes!! Would not want to live near one!!

Here in New Zealand 'the peasants are revolting' as the power people are planning to replace the current pylons with some considerably taller ones, with higher voltage (or is it wattage) lines, passing over houses, schools, and one farmer will have to move his milking shed as they want to plant a pylon there. I havent heard of the anal warts though! The power people did agree to put the line underground in the big urban area of South Auckland, when the people protested. They say it is too expensive (what price peoples lives and health) and complex to underground it all the way.

One of the problems with articles such as these is that they can easily be taken out of all proportion. Medical evidence is hard to come by, but I understand that there is some statistical evidence which shows that these sorts of medical complaints do increase as a result of proximity to high voltage power lines. What we must understand is that the risk increases, it not that everyone will sucumb, the vast majority will be perfectly ok. You need to look at it the same way as buying lottery tickets. Buy ten, as opposed to one, and yes, the risk of you winning is increased tenfold, but the chances or odds of you winning haven't changed at all. The odds are still 14 million to one. You have just subtracted ten away from the 14 million. This said it would be preferable to bury the lines underground, at least until they were clear of the main habitable areas, but, as ever, cost probably comes into it.

Hi Peter, I think your example using the lottery is a good one, but unfortunately the stakes are a lot higher as it is peoples health you are gambling with. children are especially vulnerable- imagine having a pylon by your house, having to live there day in day out with your family wondering what it might be doing to your kids, but not being able to sell up and move as noone wants to buy your blighted property. It must be a nightmare, the stress alone would be bad for your health let alone the pylons!!!

26.5 metres high seems to me to be a bit low...you sure thats right?I would have thought 62 metres to be a more sensible height............ Bob