Pylon protest over devalued house

There was already an overhead line close by when the land was bought

A homeowner claiming an electricity pylon has wiped £600,000 from the value of his house has said he will protest at the National Grid's London offices.

Dermot Finnigan, 51, from Rutland Lane, Sale, Gtr Manchester, says his house was valued at £1m in 2002, but when the pylon was built it dropped to £400,000.

Mr Finnigan claims he is now unable to sell or increase the loans on his home.

A National Grid spokesman said the company is seeking to resolve the dispute through the courts.

Mr Finnigan has said he wants compensation from the National Grid but the company has said that the electricity cable does not impinge on his property.

Close proximity

"They are saying that my case is 0.8 metres the wrong side of the (boundary) line," said Mr Finnigan.

"We've been trying to sell it for three years but, due to the child leukaemia scare, the house is worthless."

He also added that he believes that if his complaints are acknowledged, the company would face compensation claims from many more homeowners.

Mr Finnigan plans to kneel at the London offices of the National Grid on the Strand on Thursday, seeking a meeting with Sir John Parker, the chairman of the National Grid.

A National Grid spokesman said that the pylon is not on Mr Finnigan's land.

"When Mr Finnigan purchased the land to build his house, a National Grid overhead line was already in close proximity.

"In spring 2004, we moved the line a short distance at the request of the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) to accommodate the Metrolink extension."