Wires Spoil English Countryside

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 268, 2 February 1928, Page 12

Wires Spoil English Countryside

New Network Covers Whole of the Country Britain’s rapidly-growing system of overhead electric wires, whose ramifications have this summer been forced on the notice of visitors to the country as never before, is now the subject of a special inquiry by the electricity commissioners. The Institution ci electrical Engineers and other bodies have represented the future of a cheap supply of electricity depends largely on a timely revision of the rules governing the overhead wire. It is hard to realise at a glance how wide a net of live wires is now being thrown over moorland and meadow, bringing electric power to new thresholds, says “The Observer.” From Glasgow to Hastings, from the Tees to the villages of South Devon, from Wales to East Anglia, copper or steel wires—charged with anything from 6,600 to 66,000 volts are being stretched from pole to pole. In field and forest we come across unfamiliar erections of iron and concrete, with locking contrivances, so that no one can take advantage of isolation to work mischief. They are outdoor sub-stat-ions—another intrusion on the countryside. The change now being wrought is comparable only with the making of the railways and the laying of the teiegraph lines. Like both these transformations, it has its opponents. Like

both, it Tias raised new problems. We are, of course, in this matter of rural electrification, only a bad second to several European countries. The steel lattice poles on the Swiss landscape, and the loose wires that carry Italy’s “white fuel” across her valleys, have long been familiar. Italy is now laying, between Isarco and Turin, the world’s mightiest overhead line—one carrying energy at a pressure of 240.000 volts. Our own most powerful line is one of 66,000 volts, now being laid a distance of 30 miles, between Dunstan and North Tees. Hitherto we have been making this transformation under characteristic British regulations, and with a sublime disregard of Continental experience. Now, the consensus of opinion among the specialists is that we must alter our methods. "Desecrating” Landscape It is inevitable that there should be protests, strong and frequent, against the “desecration” of the landscape. The most fervent admirer of the electricity revolution would not contend tha.t rows of wooden or armoured concrete poles, with a “cat’s cradle” between them, are an addition to rural amenities. But just as complaints had to be overruled when railways and telegraphs were made, so now the laying of overhead lines through pretty country must be deemed indispensable to the development of rural industries and to the industrialisation of agriculture. Except by overhead lines it would not be practicable to bring electricity to every nook and cranny of the country. Underground cables, besides involving insuperable technical difficulties, would cost at least twice as much.

Great care has been exercised in many places to make the poles as artistic as possible. There are some fine steel lattice poles running from Treforest to Bute Docks, in South Wales, and those which carry the lines down from Dalgarrog to the sea-

side towns of North Wales are notably good workmanship. At Aylesbury, one of several towns surrounded by a belt of live wire, the engineer conciliated local opposition by a completely new type of pole. Cost of Transmission Transmission accounts for by far the larger percentage of the cost of current: generating costs are very low. And investigation has recently shown that the cost of laying transmission lines in this country is at least three times as great in Continental countries. The average cost here is about £6OO a mile (British railways, incidentally, cost £5,000 a mile), compared with something less than £ 200 a mile for similar lines abroad. Why is rural electrification here costing, so much? It is, as engineers maintain, because of the undue stringency of the regulations insisted upon. It is granted that the safety factor in this highly industrialised country should be higher than that abroad, but the general opinion has been reached that insistence on perfect lines has been pushed too for, and that, though the Britain of a century ago could afford railways far better than those elsewhere, we cannot in this generation afford to make a fetish of engineering perfection. It involves too big a handicap on the factory and farm of the future. At present the factor of safety—regarding ice loads, wind pressure, etc. —applies to all lines alike, equally to the main line between two towns as to the smallest branch line to a village. Where, for exampe, in Sweden, a span of Bf)oft is allowed between poles, 'n England only 200 ft is permitted. Here all wire, whether running over farmland or over an unfrequented moor, must be at least 20ft from the ground, the span over cross-roads is much shorter than is allowable on the Continent,, and the Post Office has much

more onerous rules for the protection of telephone lines. The second cause of the high cost is the rentals demanded w some landowners for wayleave. *■* electricity industry has to deplore tendency on the part of some PCJP 1 ® exact as much profit as possible from transformation intended for mon good. Pole rentals expected often much too high. On the CoPPßee* landowners have had such ex P c £'"'J of electricity in increasing the vaioe their land that they welcome the OOTb ing of the lines. There was. it is a period in Germany when such an lightened attitude was not but the Government authorise! quiries when the landowner tractable, and if he insisted on \. wayleave his rates were put up ingly, with the result that no owner makes trouble to-day. ! Something similar was by last year’s Electricity Ae Jv. decreed arbitration when it being unreasonably withheld, hoped this kind of interventio smooth away difficulties. Having followed Continental ence in this direction the "ITfoQuv ought, so engineers contend, it in so modifying existing restu which obey a counsel of P e to make the spread of electricity h]jc and cheaper for promoters anu alike. , w bici There is one other continental t example is ■“ Electricity is now being maae j t j. mon thing in country as 11l t _„. er fcebecoming part of our l * “ lte fore. Live wires, of ci meant to be handled. T pare** electricity should be P » j t j of every child’s education, ‘ is be we shall soon do "hat -tl—a • already doing—bring up chiiar«» l electrical practice. |