ENGINEERS have finished a £190,000 project to remove 4km of overhead power lines and pylons from a picturesque Purbeck heath.
The eight-week project at protected Stoborough Heath, near Wareham, involved replacing the lines with underground cabling. Such was the sensitivity of the work, Southern Electric Power Distribution engineers were monitored by ecologists and Natural England.
The parts of the network remaining above ground were even refurbished, with the erection of wooden poles to blend in with the environment.
Project manager Greg Moore said: “This was quite a complicated project from an engineering perspective, due to the sensitive nature of the lowland heath we had to negotiate.
“We planned the work carefully to avoid disturbing wildlife and also consulted county archaeologists when we reached a point where we had to skirt around a scheduled monument.
“All the investment work will help to ensure the longevity and integrity of the network in the Stoborough and Wareham area long into the future.”
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