THE natural beauty of the Forest of Bowland has been successfully restored after the removal of electricity poles and power lines.

Electricity North West has invested £20,000 to permanently remove electricity poles and more than 200m of overhead lines which have been a fixture in the Beacon Fell Country Park for more than 20 years.

The company worked with Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Lancashire County Council countryside service to replace the power lines with 205m of underground cable to improve the views.

Dan Wagner, programme delivery manager for Electricity North West, said: “We’re delighted to have helped restore the area to its natural beauty.

“The project required great skill to install the new cable and it will greatly improve the visual appearance of the area which is enjoyed by many walkers throughout the year.”

The work was part of a £5.4million five-year project to replace lines identified as being most visually intrusive within the National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the North West.

Elliott Lorimer, principal AONB officer for the Forest of Bowland, said: “The completion of the project is great news for the Beacon Fell Country Park and the result will be enjoyed by visitors for years to come.

“Throughout the project we’ve worked very closely with Electricity North West and we are delighted that they have removed electricity poles and overhead lines and put them underground.”