Winchester City Council: Ban on Overhead Wires? The Winchester City Council debated, on the report of the Electricity Committee, the question of overhead and underground electric cables within the city area, and particularly in the added rural area. The decisions were taken on two paragraphs in the report. The first referred to Dean Lane, which is developing as a residential area, and the Electricity Committee’s policy there has been one of overhead cable, with the exception of a short length. The Committee recommended that the work be completed as originally approved. The policy was attacked from the point of view of the preservation of the amenities of the district, and it was argued that if overhead wires were allowed it would depreciate the property value. The other side, presented in figures by Major Pinsent, was that underground cables meant three or four times the initial cost. After a long debate the definite recommendation, which permits overhead cable, was referred back by 12 votes to nine. The question of adopting a hard and fast rule prohibiting overhead cables anywhere within the City boundary was raised on another minute, which stated that the Committee inform the Winchester Branch of the Council for the Preservation of Rural England that the Committee feel at the present juncture they cannot give an undertaking to alter their policy, which is to put all cables underground “wherever the revenue to be derived there from permits.” All speakers voiced a desire to preserve amenities but were not prepared to bind the Council to a hard-and-fast prohibition of overhead cables. The motion to refer the matter back was rejected by 12 votes to seven.
Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.
Referenced
GRO0528 Devonport: John Ryland Pinsent: 1888 – 1957