Parish Council opinion

Effects on parishioners in their homes and in public places

The magnetic field from the cables falls off sharply with distance and will not be detectable beyond the edges of the cable corridor,  so there should be no risk to people in their homes and on the public roads. The cables will cross under roads but the duration of exposure whilst travelling over the cable will be very short.

Effects on people whilst on the land above the cables

The cables will pass under the land owned by the Parochial Charity and by Crusaders rugby club (actually in Hethersett). People standing directly above the cables will experience a strong magnetic field. Whilst there is no evidence that this can be harmful, there are few comparable buried cables so there has not been time for long term epidemiological  studies. If there is an effect on human physiology then it is likely to be at the quantum level and that is an emerging and complex science, so nothing can be ruled out.  However, hairdressers and people travelling on electric  trains regularly experience strong magnetic fields and there is no suggestion that their health suffers.  

PC recommendations and requests to Dong

The PC does not believe that the cable poses a threat to the general population of the village and as users of electricity it is reasonable to accept some of the inconveniences associated with the supply.  However because the technology and the related science are in their infancy the PC believes that a precautionary approach should be taken - especially as the cable will be in place for at least 25 years and will run under recreational land.  

 

1. The PC would like to see the cables routed further away from the village and suggests that the cables can follow the same route as the existing overhead lines that lie to the south of Little Melton.  
2. The PC notes that the magnetic field strength is inversely proportional to the distance from the conductor by a factor of 2π (circumference of a circle) and that reference fields are measured 1m above ground.  Someone working in a field or playing rugby may well have their head closer to the ground than 1m .  The PC would like to see the cable buried at least 2m deep where it passes under recreational land (including the Parochial Charity land, which potentially may be used for allotments and the growing of fruit trees).
3. DC transmission would appear to be safer than AC transmission and the PC believes that the technology to be used should be decided upon before final permission is granted as there are different health risks.  Gas insulated lines would appear to significantly reduce the magnetic field and the PC would like to see this technology used.  
4. The PC would like to be put in touch with communities that already host comparable cables (both AC and DC) so that the PC can ask directly about any problems.   There are concerns that AC will give rise to audible vibrations.
5. Can Dong provide independent verification that the electric field will be fully absorbed at the shallowest depth of burial.   One parishioner has questioned this based on the Skin Depth calculation.
6. Can Dong comment on the why they quote a 360 μT limit for public exposure when the government Standard Note SNSC-06453 states ‘reference level for the general public is 100 μT’.  Admittedly this still exceeds the predicted field strengths.
7. What are the reasons for considering the alternate route to the south of Church farm barns?   The PC believes that the best route is the one that maximises the distance from houses.