Safety isn’t just a box to tick. It’s the foundation of everything we do. Whether planning new projects or maintaining existing infrastructure, our teams are focused on meeting the highest health and safety standards. This means following all relevant guidance and legislation from the UK and Scottish Governments, the Health and Safety Executive, our regulator Ofgem, and industry standards such as the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations (ESCQR) and the Energy Networks Association (ENA). If it’s in the rule book, we follow it and, in many cases, we go further.

Why overhead line clearance matters

Legislation requires a minimum clearance of 7.3 metres at 400kV over arable land.  However, for our new Pathway to 2030 400kV projects, we’re going beyond this by setting a minimum of 9 metres and in some locations, the clearance will be even higher, depending on land use and technical requirements.  In developing our projects, we take a rational and pragmatic approach that gives due consideration to evolving land uses and modern farming practices, whilst also accounting for the visual impact taller lines may have on communities and the landscape.  Balancing these factors responsibly is a key part of our planning process.

Listening to the people who know the land best

Decisions about clearance and design don’t happen in isolation. We engage with landowners, farmers, and bodies such as the National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) to understand what’s changing on the ground. These conversations ensure that projects not only meet regulations but also work for the people who live and work alongside our infrastructure. While we go further than required by safety standards, that alone isn’t enough. True safety depends on partnership: we design responsibly, and land users like farmers play their part by carrying out farming practice and operating machinery responsibly and safely around infrastructure.

What’s next?

As our projects progress, we will continue to engage with landowners to listen to feedback and explore ways to further address concerns before construction begins. Building new infrastructure isn’t just about steel lattice towers and cables. It’s about people, land, and partnerships. By working together, we can ensure our projects are safe, responsible, and considerate of the communities we serve.