Site Event/Activity record ECH6275 - PK line, Crewe to Barlaston. Cultural Heritage Assessment

An assessment has been conducted by Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust, to determine the potential impacts on the cultural heritage resource which may result from the refurbishment of an existing 132kV overhead powerline, known as the PK Line, which runs for a distance of 38km between a Crewe Substation (SJ 6773 5616), in Cheshire, and Barlaston Substation (SJ 8880 3621), near Stone, in Staffordshire. The assessment comprised a desk-based study which examined a 250m-wide corridor along the entire length of the scheme. The study has determined that there is the potential for direct impacts on a small number of heritage assets, including a number of historic hedgerows for which formal permissions will be required should removals be unavoidable. Potential impacts have been identified for 21 undesignated assets and an appropriate mitigation strategy has been developed. Mitigation measures have been proposed for each asset where a direct impact is considered possible and these have been based on the underlying assumption that no identified heritage asset, regardless of its category, should be significantly disturbed unless this proves to be wholly unavoidable. The mitigation can be summarised as follows:  PK120 and PK121 Watching brief during ground investigations  PK017 and PK019 No compounds and careful placement of access routes to avoid damage to landscape park  No compounds and careful placement of access routes to avoid damage to ridge and furrow adjacent to 17 of the towers  Avoid removals of historic hedgerows