Derbyshire landowner's fears for future of her farm at centre of planned route for giant electricity pylons across the countryside

Sarah Mcrow, 55, from Brackenfield fears she could lose both her home and the business she has built up from scratch, if plans to build new 50m tall pylons across rural Derbyshire go ahead.

While reading a letter she received from National Grid, Sarah described the moment of “dawning horror” seeing the planned route for the new pylons entirely covering her farmland.

She said: “It was covered from the top of our farm to the bottom of our farm, which included our house and an extension we had just completed.

“I was incredulous to begin with. I thought this can’t be right, and then I realised just how big these pylons are going to be.

"They are absolutely going to affect everything in the valley.”

Sarah is the owner of Brackenfield Alpaca farm, which is not just a home to her but a herd of 40 friendly alpacas.

The farm is open to the public, offering the opportunity to meet, feed and walk with the alpacas, on a 90 minute trek around the farm.

They also offer stud services for alpaca breeders and an animal husbandry course.

She worries that if she were forced to sell her farm, not only would Sarah lose her home and business, her animals will have to be sold, and her five employees may be left without a job.

The idea of possibly having to sell is made even more upsetting to Sarah due to the hard work, time and money it has taken to get the farm operational and into the condition it is in today.

Upon purchase, the Brackenfield site was completely run down. The original farmhouse had to be demolished with a new one erected, in which Sarah now lives.

The farm owner had also just completed an extension to her farmhouse around the same time she received the letter from National Grid.

Sarah added that if she were ever forced to sell up her land, the impact “would devastate our lives completely”.

Sarah is also concerned about the impact the potential 50m tall pylons may have on the area’s natural beauty, which is what originally attracted her to buying her farm seven years ago.

She said: “It’s not just about my business. The Amber Valley is an incredibly beautiful part of the world.

"The reason we even bought the farm was because we really loved the views in the area.

“But once the pylons are here they are here forever. They’re not going to come down in 10 or 50 years. It feels like we are just industrialising our beautiful, green spaces.”

Sarah is hoping to push back against National Grid’s plans, by encouraging her visitors as well as all local residents to “get active” and fill in their consultation forms to oppose the pylons and potentially save her farm.

A spokesperson for National Grid said: “We are at an early stage in our proposals and we want to work closely with local communities as we develop the project further, including the exact route of the project which has not yet been determined.

“We are holding a public consultation so people can tell us about the impacts they believe this project will have on them, and where they live. This is really important to us, and we encourage people to talk to us and take part in the consultation which runs until 17 September.”

For more information about the National Grid’s pylon proposal and how you can voice your concerns, or about Sarah’s farm and its services, visit the Brackenfield Alpaca’s webpage.