Praise for power firm for undergrounding cables at Pooley Bridge

An electricity firm has been praised for removing unsightly overhead power lines in a Lake District village.

So far Electricity North West has spent £290,000 burying power lines and electricity poles at Pooley Bridge.

Friends of the Lake District said the firm had worked hard to restore the "stunning views".

Over the next eight years the Lake District National Park Authority will recommend other areas where cables and power lines can go underground.

The power firm said it hoped it would have achieved its target of "undergrounding" 30km of electricity power lines in the Lake District National Park Authority area by next year.

The work is being funded by an allowance from regulator Ofgem.

Amanda McCleery, Friends of the Lake District overhead wires officer, said: "These poles and wires were close to a popular riverside footpath from Pooley Bridge, with stunning views south to Ullswater and the Eastern Fells beyond, so it is great to get them removed.

"We appreciates the hard work of Electricity North West."

Alan Lowes, operations delivery manager for Electricity North West, said: "The power network is vital to ensure our customers receive a reliable power supply to their homes and businesses, but we do understand that sometimes it can impact the local landscape."

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