EMOTIONS ran high as residents gathered to express their anger at plans which would see towering pylons erected near their homes.

Homeowners and councillors met last night in Dalton Community Centre to discuss proposals by the National Grid, who want to build two rows of pylons east of Dalton, over the A590 towards Duddon Valley, roughly following the route of the existing, smaller pylons.

The pylons will run from the proposed Moorside power station near Sellafield to Roosecote, near Barrow, where they will divert underneath Morecambe Bay to link with the National Grid at Middleton in Lancashire.

Proposals have been met with heavy objections from people who say they new structures, which would stand at 50m high, would tarnish their landscape and pose serious environmental risks.

Speaking at the meeting, councillor for Dalton North and Barrow Borough councillor Ann Thurlow said: "I have no idea what the views are at a borough level and at risk of being thrown off the borough council, I have to say I stand with you because we don't want these here, they are they are not going to disappear.

"I was told by someone that we shouldn't worry about Dalton because 'it's only full of old mine shafts and it's not worth preserving'.

"We don't want these across our landscape because we care about it and in 10 years time I don't want to look at my children and say 'I did nothing'.

"We might not win, but we have to at least try."

If the plans were to go ahead councillors estimate that more than 15,000 people living within one kilometre of the pylons would be affected by their presence.

While many were concerned about the visual impact the huge structures would have on the landscape, many raised fears over the area's infrastructure during construction, saying the A590 and surrounding roads would not be equipped to handle the increase in passing traffic which would "choke" their roads.

Others voiced concerns over the health risks involved with living so close to 400kv of electricity, not to mention potential hazards for the animals housed in Dalton zoo, which would sit 200 metres away.

Chairman and town mayor, Nick Perie, chaired the meeting and said he feared the pylons would have a "lasting effect."

Councillor Daniel Greaves ended the meeting by calling on residents to come together and submit their formal objections.

He said: "We need to do this together, en masse, or an individual voice will be lost."

If given the go-ahead, the pylons would start in 2019 and take five years to complete.

Councillors will hold a surgery on December 10 in the town hall to help residents write their official objections to the plan.

FACTS:-

- The pylons that are 50m high will be the height as Barrow Town Hall and almost the same height as Devonshire Dock Hall which is 51m high.

- The following areas of Dalton will be affected by the pylons if they are built, according to Dalton Town Council:-

• Crooklands Brow

• Melton Terrace

• Tytup

• Longlands

• Newton Village

• Woodbine

• Tythe Barn

• Greystone Lane

• Greystone Estate

• Coronation Drive/Estate

• Acorn Bank

• Hare Ghyll

• Urswick Road

Objections must be submitted by January 6 and can be sent by email to nationalgrid@northwestcoastconnections.com