A caravan park owner in East Huntspill living next to a line of new Hinkley Point T-Pylons says National Grid is not compensating him and other affected businesses for noise and disruption during the construction work.
More than 100 of the huge new T-shaped pylons are being installed across Somerset to carry power from Hinkley Point C to Avonmouth. The UK’s first T-pylon was installed earlier this month in a field off Merry Lane in East Huntspill, as we reported here.
Rob Davey, who runs Merry Farm caravan park, which is located close to the new T-pylons, says that no compensation has been given to businesses affected by the noisy building work and that his customers are unhappy at the disruption.
Talking to Burnham-On-Sea.com, Rob says: “National Grid claim that the building work is no noisier than agricultural work but this work involves huge cranes, teams of builders and noisy trucks. Several of our caravanners have been unhappy at the noise in what is normally a very quiet, peaceful location.”
“We have just been through a pandemic with months of disruption, so we feel it is very poor that National Grid is not properly helping small businesses whose customers are affected by the work and noise. It feels as though the ‘little man’ is being stamped on by the big company.”
A National Grid spokesperson responds: “We recognise the important role landowners play in hosting the infrastructure that will help us to reach net zero.”
“We always seek to reach voluntary agreements and compensate landowners fairly, reasonably and guided by the principles of compensation code.”
“In this area, we finished noisy piling work during the first few months of the year, avoiding the summer holiday season.”
“Although visible, the activity we’re doing now – using cranes to lift pylons into place – generates similar noise to the agricultural activity that would typically be heard at this time of year.”
