CHIDDINGFOLD residents could soon be able to see in the dark. Waverley borough councillors agreed this week to a land-swop deal as part of plans to bring an end to last winter's numerous power cuts in the village.

A scheme by Southern Electric to instal a new high-voltage underground cable from Milford to Chiddingfold, involves a number of electricity substations that need to be refurbished or relocated.

One of those is the current substation site at Milford crossroads, which was bought by Southern Electric in 1962 from the former Hambledon Rural District Council.

It is proposed to exchange the site for one in the Waverley-owned car park at Milford crossroads, which could be built without any loss of car parking spaces.

Members of the Waverley executive committee agreed on Tuesday that the sites should be exchanged on terms and conditions to be agreed by the property and development manager at the council.

Council leader David Harmer has welcomed the scheme.

"It's very encouraging that they are going to put in an underground line, it will protect the landscape," he said.

"I know, having worked for the National Grid, that this is quite expensive."

John Sandy asked that when work on the substation is complete in the car park that it be camouflaged with "suitable landscaping".

He added: "There are shrubs along there and it looks as if it will abut that area."

Councillors also heard that the council's costs in the exchange of sites will be met by Southern Electric.

A report added that the proposal would be a "good opportunity" to move the existing substation to a "more suitable" location and recover a small area of land at the rear of Springwood flats.

p The scheme, announced earlier this year, will upgrade the line area from Milford to Chiddingfold and extend the 11,000 volt network following a series of power cuts in Chiddingfold late last year.

An underground line will be installed as part of the scheme, which is expected to cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, and will be the main feed cable of electricity to that area.

Following the installation, the existing overhead cables are expected to be dismantled.