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Ligne THT / High Voltage Electricity Pylons – ++Southern Manche++


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  • 3 months later...
To bring this subject back to the top:  A neighbour of ours had a meeting with our Mayor and a rep from RTE on Saturday and was told that the "preferred" route is going ahead.  We have also had a letter from some organisation saying that we will be visited to complete a questionnaire as we are in the 300 metre band from the line.

We have an appointment to see Mr G Huet (our Deputé) tomorrow so may learn more then.  We had not heard that the route was finalised but it seems it has been.

More later.

Hereford

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Hi Hereford - hope you're both well. [:)]

The route is somewhat finalised. It will take the middle route - ie, not close to the existing line near Villedieu and not St Sever / St Michel de Montjoie / Cherence-le-Roussel but crosses the Sée valley at Cuves and then up towards Chevreville. However. Fine-tuning is still going on and there are even rumours of the level of protest pushing RTE to reconsider following close to the existing pylons. I think that there's a level of wishful thinking behind the rumours but what do I know. [8-)] There is due to be a public enquiry which was due to commence in January. I'd be very interested to hear what your Deputé has to say.

I don't think we can truly be sure of the route of the line until the concrete starts being poured for the pylon bases. But I am sure it will go ahead - it is just a question of exactly where.

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Hi Catalpa (hope you are well too!)

Our neighbour is English and a Civil Engineer and has suggested several options to improve the line thru here. Even saying he would pay for landscaping and buy/give the land to allow a short section underground.  RTE were unhelpful and are adamant the line will go between his house and ours!

Will post again tomorrow when we have seen the Deputé.

H.

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We saw the "parliamentary assistant" to our Deputé yesterday as planned.  The emails setting up the appointment did not say that we would see an assistant but perhaps that is what happens here and our Deputé is very busy.

She was quite sympathetic about our environmental objections but did say, as expected, that the line was needed and that EDF say they will decide on the "least worst" route.  She also said that she has no idea when the final route will be settled! We tried to press her (i.e. 3 months, 6 months, a year) but we just got shrugs...

We do not feel that we gained much but at least we have tried.  Our neighbour is investigating a petition direct to the European Court on the basis that a proper environmental study has not been done. An MEP in London has suggested this could be done.

We hope people will keep this posting going so that we all keep up to date.

H.

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  • 1 year later...

Hello! This is our first time using the forum after discovering you all last week. We have arrived back from Normandy after setting our hopes on buying a very nice house in La Manche. The only problem is that it is on the outskirts of St Laurent de Cuve. The agent showed us where it was in relation to the electricity line before the viewing. The map seemed to suggest that we were 3 to 5 kilometers away but the alarm bells are ringing since reading your comments and furthermore our agent has not replied to our two emails concerning this matter.

Can anyone give us any info and advice?

 

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I don't know which map you were shown - there have been several. But the nearest there is to a definitive official map shows that parts of the commune of St-Laurent-de-Cuves will certainly be affected. The 'line of least environmental impact', i.e. the preferred route, passes just to the east. The alternative, less preferred (but still possible) route is just to the west. So it depends where you are on the outskirts.

The map, and some discussion on the route(s) can be found on our site here: http://www.vienormande.com/forum/index.php?topic=5.0

Judie, who has contributed to the discussion, is a local councillor in one of the affected communes, and is also an estate agent working in the area (who, before anybody makes a clever comment, gives honest information to anybody who asks) so probably knows as much as anybody about the line.

The local councils seem to have some influence on the final route, but only within the designated corridor (the area shown shaded on the map is almost certain to represent the final corridor).

The map also shows the existing THT (400,000V) lines, which is worth bearing in mind, because the new route, although visually (and arguably health-wise) undesirable, is not something new and unknown - there hasn't exactly been a trail of scorched earth, death and destruction left by the other lines.

Do you know about the Papillons de Nuit festival in St-Laurent-de-Cuves, which in recent years has seen acts like Razorlight, the Stereophonics, Fratellis, Babyshambles, Iggy Pop, the Kooks, Simple Minds and the Ting Tings, to name just those familiar to English speakers? And just to further prove it's not all bad in that area, have you found the restaurant originally opened by Jean-Christophe Novelli (and still part-owned and run by the chef he originally installed there)?

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Until 2007 we lived near Percy and on Mont Robin itself. There are but a handfull of houses there but I defy anyone to find a better view and location. It is superb and our house was originally a holiday home but living almost full time there was an issue due to location my wife's illness and the like.

What really made us move was being three times by lightning and which hit both the overhead power lines and FT lines and went through all the cabling in the house. Parafourdres and the like were installed but we still got hit.

I remember buying the house in 2001 and signed the contract on the fateful day in September and when a horrific event was taking place in New York.

To my mind another horrific event is now taking place.

Our purchasers were aware of what was then likely to happen but were relaxed about it all.
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I can't equate the destruction of the world trade centre and 3000 deaths with a line of THT pylons but be that as it may...

Anxious, St-Laurent-de-Cuves is a nice little village in a lovely area of Manche but if the thought of THT pylons makes you feel uneasy, don't buy there, at least until there is a plan of where each pylon will go. There are lots of other beautiful areas in Manche and Calvados that are unlikely to be affected by the pylons. Admittedly, wherever you buy, you might suddenly find a factory, a landfill site, half-a-dozen éoliennes planned for your doorstep but to buy knowing that pylons are planned near your village may turn your happy purchase into a worry. Which seems a bit daft really.

I don't think the precise route of the line is known even now - and the chosen corridor is broad - but the nearer you are to the centre of a village, the "safer" you are likely to be because - afaiaa - there are no plans to run the pylons literally across a village.

Your agent may simply be unwilling to respond to emails at all - not his / her chosen form of communication. But even if you do get an email or letter from the agent confirming that to the best of their knowledge, "your" house will not be affected, it's worthless as the agent can have no control over any changes to the route or final decisions.

If you're concerned, look elsewhere. Or negotiate a really good price and take a risk.

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Dear Catalpa whilst living in Percy I joined the sous Tension Group. This morning I have received copies of the judgments of the Coutances Tribunal dated 21st August. Have you seen them please. My French does not yet extend to legal stuff but I think and only think that the Prefet has at least been fined for not complying with a 15 day deadline on something or other. As I say I only think.
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