§ 14. Mr. Wingfield Digbyasked the Minister of Power how many 160-ft. towers for 400 kW. lines have now been erected; and what representations he has received from the areas affected.
§ Mr. Frederick Lee1,377 towers 160 ft. or more in height have now been erected in various parts of the country. Since the work of erection has begun 1308 one complaint has been received in the Ministry from Dorset and a petition from North Wales about the crossing of the Dwyryd estuary.
§ Mr. DigbyIs the right hon. Gentle, man aware that many complaints have been made to hon. Members, pointing out how unsightly these towers are? Will he consult the Board about them and see whether some improvement can be made in their general design? He said earlier that he was interested in the amenity aspect of the matter.
§ Mr. LeeThe provision of electricity is also a pretty good amenity. The design of these towers was submitted to the Royal Fine Art Commission, which made no comment. [Laughter.] I say that to show how fair I am in these matters. In preparing the final design the Board had the advice of Sir William Holford.
§ Miss QuennellWill the right hon. Gentleman indicate whether it is the policy of his Ministry constantly to pursue improvements in design from the point of view of aesthetics and amenity? Has there been any consultation with foreign countries, in order to ascertain whether their designs are susceptible of adaptation to our landscape?
§ Mr. LeeI can assure the hon. Lady that we are as concerned as she is about this kind of thing. A great deal of research has gone on, and as soon as there is a possibility of improvement we will do everything possible to bring it into being.