HOPES have been dashed to make the overhead lines in the Pewsey Vale less visible.

Earlier this year, the National Grid announced that a stretch of transmission line across the Pewsey Vale in the North Wessex Downs had been shortlisted as part of its project to reduce the visual impact of overhead lines in areas of outstanding natural beauty and National Parks.

The advisory group to the project has now identified the four priority projects, these are in the New Forest, Dorset AONB, the Peak District and Snowdonia.

The National Grid have stressed that this does not mean the North Wessex Downs project has been dropped, it remains under consideration for future work under the project.

The priority lines will now be subject to detailed technical feasibility and it is possible that one or more might fall away in which case the advisory group will select another project from the shortlist.

Rose Somerset, communications officer for the North Wessex Downs AONB said: “We are disappointed that the work to move the cables has not been prioritised but there are still opportunities for lower voltage lines to be moved underground and we are always looking for suggestions for stretches of lines that could usefully be removed.”