Ofgem withdraws backing for Cotswold powerline undergrounding

CPRE Gloucestershire responds with disappointment as Ofgem withdraws support for major underground powerline scheme to protect the Cotswolds National Landscape

Yesterday, Ofgem confirmed their decision to withdraw support for a major scheme to underground powerlines in the Cotswold National Landscape. The National Grid project proposed to reduce the visual impact of around 7km of electricity pylons and overhead power lines in the Cotswolds, between Postlip Mill near Winchcombe and the edge of the Cotswold Plateau north of Dowdeswell Reservoir, by replacing them with underground cables.

The scheme would have significantly reduced the visual impact of energy infrastructure in one of England’s most iconic and protected landscapes.

When the 28-day consultation opened on 1^st April 2026, CPRE Gloucestershire supported expert colleagues from the national Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) team to respond to the project consultation, outlining our deep concerns for the countryside.

With the consultation having concluded in May, Ofgem today confirmed in a that the project will not receive funding.

Simon Murray, Chair of CPRE Gloucestershire said:

“CPRE recognises the cost of living pressures facing many families across the country and the need for government to spend money wisely, but this decision is another example of short-term economic arguments over-riding wider rural interests. 

The Cotswolds National Landscape is world-renowned for its beauty and draws hundreds of thousands of tourists from across the world every year. Here was an opportunity to enhance its countryside beauty by undergrounding pylons, as other countries have done. 

As a member of the project’s national Stakeholder Advisory Group since 2014, CPRE has worked with National Grid and other partners for more than a decade to progress this scheme, which had universal support.

Many hours and a great deal of money has been wasted – and a great opportunity has been missed.”

Ofgem’s decision ignores both public support for undergrounding power lines and its own duty to conserve and enhance protected landscapes.

After almost five years of consultation and investment, today’s news represents a missed opportunity to improve one of the UK’s most iconic and well-loved landscapes – as well as a huge waste of public money.

The new, greener energy infrastructure this country desperately needs will be with us for generations to come – and building it should not be a race to the bottom for the cheapest possible solutions.