ELECTRICITY company National Grid has announced a new consultation on its plans to connect Cumbria's proposed nuclear new build to the electricity network.

It will hold 30 public events in both Cumbria and Lancashire, starting with one in Rampside Village Hall on Tuesday November 1 to discuss the £2.8bn project.

These events will see the firm explain the technologies which will be used to connect the grid to NuGen's planned development at Moorside, near Sellafield.

The company has been working on these plans for six years of work and say they have tried to find a balance between protecting landscapes and passing costs onto bill payers.

Robert Powell, north west Coast Connections project manager said: "We have been working on this project for six years now and, in that time, we’ve had thousands of conversations with communities and key groups. We have listened to their views and these have helped us shape our plans.

"When we start consultation, we will show people exactly where in the landscape our pylons, underground cables and substations could sit."

National Grid is due to apply to the government next year for permission for the connection to be built.

This means that the forthcoming consultation may be the last to cover the whole route.

Mr Powell added: "People's views have played an important role in helping us refine our project and we are keen to hear their opinions on the plans we have now developed.

"The next step is for us to apply for consent for the connections to be built, so it is important that people make the most of what could be the final opportunity to have a say on the project as a whole."

The project website can be found here .

Consultation schedule

1. Tuesday November 1, 2pm-8pm – Rampside Village Hall, Roa Island Road, Rampside, Barrow, LA13 0PY

2. Wednesday November 2, 2pm- 8pm – Reading Rooms, Sellafield Road, Beckermet, CA21 2XN

3. Thursday November 3, 2pm-8pm – Seascale Methodist Church, Gosforth Road, Seascale, CA20 1PU

4. Friday November 4, 2pm – 8pm – Distington Community Hall, Church Road, Distington, Workington, CA14 5TE

5. Saturday November 5, 10am-3.30pm – Buccleuch Hall, The Green, Lindal, LA12 0LX

6. Tuesday November 8, 2pm-8pm – Askam Community Hall, Duke Street, Askam, LA16 7AD

7. Wednesday November 9, 2pm -8pm – Moresby Rugby Union Club, Walkmill Park, Moresby, Whitehaven, CA28 8XW

8. Thursday November 10, 2pm-8pm – Heysham Library, 396 Heysham Road, Heysham, Morecambe, LA3 2BJ

9. Friday November 11, 2pm-8pm – Victory Hall, Station Road, Broughton, LA20 6HN

10. Saturday November 12, 10am-3.30pm – Thwaites Village Hall, The Green, Millom, LA18 5HZ

11. Tuesday November 15, 2pm-8pm – Helena Thompson Museum, Park End Road, Workington, CA14 4DE

12. Wednesday November 16, 2pm-8pm – Great Orton Village Hall, Great Orton, Carlisle, CA5 6LU

13. Thursday November 17, 2pm-8pm – Silecroft Village Hall, Main Street, Silecroft, Millom, LA18 4NU

14. Friday November 18, 2pm-8pm – Bootle Village Hall, Bootle Station, LA19 5UY

15. Saturday November 19, 10am-3.30pm – Roose Community Primary School, North Row, Barrow in Furness, LA13 0HF

16. Tuesday November 22, 2pm-8pm – Aspatria Rugby Club, Station Rd, Wigton, CA7 2AJ

17. Wednesday November 23, 2pm-8pm – Muncaster Parish Hall, Main Street, Ravenglass, Cumbria, CA18 1SQ

18. Thursday November 24, 2pm-8pm – Heysham Library, 396 Heysham Road, Heysham, Morecambe, LA3 2BJ

19. Friday November 25, 2pm-8pm – Newton Village Hall, Newton Cross Rd, Newton, LA13 0ND

20. Saturday November 26, 10am-3.30pm – Community Hall, Grizebeck, Kirkby, LA17 7XH

21. Tuesday November 29, 2pm-8pm – Egremont Market Hall, Market Street, Egremont, Whitehaven, CA22 2DF

22. Wednesday November 30, 2pm-8pm – Rockcliffe Centre, Rockcliffe, Carlisle, CA6 4AA

23. Thursday December 1, 2pm-8pm – Seaton Village Hall, Welfare Lane, Seaton, CA14 1PN

24. Friday December 2, 2pm-8pm – Market Hall, Church Street, Wigton, CA7 9AA

25. Saturday December 3, 10am-3.30pm – Burlington C of E Primary School, School Road, Kirkby, LA17 7UH

26. Tuesday December 6, 2pm-8pm – NuGen's Moorside Information Centre, Civic Hall, Whitehaven, CA28 7SH

27. Wednesday December 7, 2pm-8pm – Morton Community Centre, Wigton Road, Carlisle, CA2 6JP

28. Thursday December 8, 2pm-8pm – Millom Network Centre, Salthouse Road, Millom, LA18 5AB

29. Friday December 9, 2pm-8pm – Drigg & Carleton Parish Hall, Drigg Holmrook, CA19 1XF

30. Saturday December 10, 10am-3.30pm – Natland & Oxenholme Village Hall, Oxenholme Lane, Kendal, LA9 7QQ