A HAMPSHIRE countryside charity is calling for a different site to be found for electric power transmission links.

CPRE Hampshire is calling for a more industrial site to be found for a proposed new nationally significant energy infrastructure project linking the British and French electric power grids.

The Aquind Interconnector project is a new subsea and underground High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) electric power transmission link between Portsmouth and Normandy, France.

After conversion to Alternating Current (AC) the power would join the National Grid via the existing substation at Lovedean, in the southern part of East Hampshire.

CPRE has said that current proposals by Aquind Ltd would see at Lovedean a Convertor Station including two convertor halls, each measuring 90 metres in length, 50 metres in width and notably 22-26 metres in height.

The charity believes that these would be large buildings, with a height well in excess of even the largest agricultural buildings and mature trees.

The site is surrounded on three sides by the South Downs National Park.

Christopher Napier OBE, of CPRE Hampshire’s Planning and Policy Group, said: “Given the high sensitivity and high value of the landscape of the South Downs National Park (SDNP), buildings of this scale, utilitarian appearance and form sited in this location could not but cause significant harm to the setting of the SDNP.

"The significant adverse impact on landscape character, visual amenity and tranquillity of the SDNP would be contrary to the first national park purpose, and so significantly compromise the purpose of designation of the SDNP.”

CPRE Hampshire says that a more industrial site needs to be found, even if this would involve additional expense at another substation to improve capacity to evacuate power, as has been done with other interconnector schemes.

The countryside charity also has serious concerns about noise from operation of the converter halls in what, despite the existing Lovedean substation, is a largely tranquil rural area.

CPRE Hampshire also states that the proposals would be contrary to national and local planning policies for the protection of local landscape, views and tranquillity, including those contained in the newly adopted South Downs Local Plan, and the East Hampshire District and Winchester District Local Plans.

A spokesperson for AQUIND said: "Lovedean substation was identified as the preferred connection point for AQUIND Interconnector following an assessment by National Grid, who are responsible for maintaining Great Britain’s electricity grid.

“The new Converter Station will be located to the west of the existing National Grid substation, outside the South Downs National Park boundary.

"The Converter Station needs to be located as close as possible to the existing substation minimise the length of AC cable used, which take up a much wider corridor of land when compared to DC cables, and pose other technical challenges that would reduce the benefits of the project.

“AQUIND recognises the importance of mitigating the landscape and visual impacts of the project. 

"Our DCO application contains a range of design and landscaping principles to mitigate the visual impacts of the Converter Station, which have been prepared in consultation with South Downs National Park Authority and Winchester City Council."