In 2012 CPRE called for pylons to be placed underground due to their impact on landscapes and tranquillity. After years of deliberation, the work began on the downing of pylons in 2022. 

In October 2022 National Grid started to remove 22 pylons and 8.8km of overhead cable from the skyline as it heads towards the conclusion of its first VIP to transform views of the Dorset AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. As part of how it is regulated by Ofgem, National Grid Electricity Transmission has been given dedicated funding to pursue Visual Impact Provision projects to reduce the visual impact of its infrastructure in AONBs and national parks, with the Dorset scheme being the first to complete. Located near the villages of Martinstown and Winterbourne Abbas, the Going Underground project is one of the first schemes in the world to remove existing high-voltage electricity transmission infrastructure, which has been in place since the 1960s, solely to enhance the landscape. The archaeological work has been on a huge scale and the oldest artefact found is around 6000 years old. Guy Dickinson, West Dorset CPRE Chair, was onsite on 6th October with the National Grid to witness the ‘felling’ of a pylon. Visit http://dorset.nationalgrid.co.uk/ for more details.