A host of "significant reservations" have been lodged by Copeland Council on major proposals to upgrade the local electricity network.

The council has made its official response to National Grid's public consultation into its £2.8 billion scheme to connect the proposed nuclear power station at Moorside, near Sellafield, into the network.

In it, the council says while it supports the scheme "in principle", it has "a number of significant reservations which require further development and explanation" by National Grid, prior to its application to the Government for planning consent, expected to be by the end of this year.

It adds the proposals are "lacking evidence and information across many topics which limit the ability to assess potential impacts on local communities and to identify mitigation measures".

Specific criticisms from the council include:

- lack of benefits to the local community

- target of 20 per cent local labour is too low

- negative visual impact in the national park setting; "views of, and from, the park will be impacted"

- not enough attention given to cumulative impact of the pylons and existing turbines

- no adequate mitigation on high level of disruption during the five-year construction process, including on the visitor economy

- health impacts of the line have not been addressed

- a transport assessment needs to be carried out

- timing and length of the consultation process "has restricted parish/councillor engagement".

Included in the proposals are a series of new high-voltage pylons to replace a number of those currently owned by Electricity North West.

At 50m, they are almost double the height of the existing pylons and the route broadly follows the path of the existing ENW pylons.

If approved, construction will start in 2019, ahead of Moorside beginning to generate electricity in 2024.