Buy a house near a pylon?

[flutterby12]

Hi everyone

We have an offer on our house and buyers keen to get things moving. We have seen a house we love but it's near an overhead pylon. It looks as if it's two streets over.

I know there are risks of cancer, especially childhood leukaemia, albeit anecdotal evidence. We have a 9 month old DS and I just couldn't live with myself if he were to fall ill.

The area is lovely and has excellent schools, would only need a new bathroom and a lick of paint so very minimal stuff.

So, would you buy a house near a pylon? Am I being over-cautious?

Thank you

When we bought our house and the survey came back I was amazed to find there was a pylon within 200 metres, as I hadn't even seen it, as there are trees in the way. It doesn't bother me, but I wouldn't want to live too close to one simply because they are bloody ugly and they make a noise in damp weather. (It's a sort of hiss!) We live in a heavily pylon infested area and there is no escaping them, most houses here are never far from a pylon - I almost don't see them now. If you like the house, go for it.

I certainly wouldn't, but that's just me. I'm risk averse.

I think I have attached some pics. The sight of it doesn't bother me. It's more the health issues. Husband thinks I'm being over-cautious

That house looks gorgeous and if it's your dream home then sometimes some things have to be compromised. Could you do further research into the health cautions and then make a decision after that.

No, not because the pylon per se bothers me, but because it would bother enough people that selling it again would be problematic.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4606229.stm

That pylon looks to be quite a long way away. How far are we ever, really, from a pylon?

Do you check everywhere DCs go for pylons? Eg, would you discount a fab school if there was a pylon next to it?

Thank you, everyone. I have done a bit of research and seen the above article. We currently
back on to a busy road, which doesn't bother us too much. The house is a compromise as it's a semi and we are currently detached. EA has advised contacting National Grid.

PP right, would I pull DC out of a school if a pylon nearby? I'm not sure, maybe.

And is a pylon any worse than a busy road?

I was in a similar prediciment last year and spoke to a physics professor I know through work and he said you would need to be directly under a pylon ( I think he said within 5 metres or so) for prolonged periods for it to affect health. There was a lengthy scientific explanation he gave me that I can't now remember but at the time it gave me enough comfort that I was no longer concerned.

Very true. Trying to find out what kind of pylon it is.

@EmmaC78 that's interesting. Thank you for that insight. It's about 120-150m away.

I think it's more likely to be a distribution network pylon, rather than a National Grid one. Still electricity, but not as high voltage as the transmission system.

you can find out who your local distribution network is here: www2.nationalgrid.com/UK/Our-company/electricity/Distribution-Network-Operator-Companies/

I'd put a few evergreen trees at the back of your garden so it isn't an eyesore.
If it was within 50 metres I'd be twitchy because of the resale. I don't know of health concerns but I wouldn't be delighted to be close myself and it would stop me buying.

I know there are risks of cancer, especially childhood leukaemia

No, there isn't.

I recently looked all this up for a friend who was also considering moving near a pylon (i am a cancer research scientist, although my field is more therapy, i have access to the published papers and can understand them).

There is no link. There's been quite a lot done on pets and animals that live near pylons too, and nothing.

Like you say, it's anecdotal. But so is the link between mmr and autism, also thoroughly debunked.

I grew up within 50m of a pylon. Nobody on our housing estate, child or adult, has leukaemia.

I don't know the science of pylons, but I agree that I would be worried about resale. I wouldn't buy a house with an obvious pylon for that reason.

As a PP has said, be aware of the noise on a wet morning! You'll probably be far enough away that you wouldn't notice it though. I rented very close to a pylon a few years ago and was amazed at the noise - couldn't hear inside due to double glazing but it was noticeable in the garden.

The noise you hear on wet mornings is called Corona Discharge. Which I always thought sounded like the kind of thing you'd come back from Malaga with .

As others have said, I wouldn't buy it, not necessarily because of the actual risks associated, but because it limits the resale opportunities so much.

Thanks everyone. Much appreciated. @gurgeh thank you I have a contact no to call in the morning. We aren't too bothered about futures resale as we plan on being there a long time. The vendor has said when it's raining you can hear a 'hum' which concerns me but not sure I'd notice it as I don't even notice the traffic noise by us anymore.

Hilariously some of the research that claims to find a link between pylons and cancer uses planning data to determine where the pylons are. However, some of those pylons were never actually constructed. So it's finding correlations between cancer cases around pylons that don't even exist.

We looked into this when we were considering a house near a pylon. We concluded that it wasn't for us for 2 reasons: 1. That you could hear it buzzing all the time (we often walk past the house and it is noticeable); and 2. That we would have wanted to sell it within a few years and other people are put off because they think there might be health risks.

I wouldn't be worried about the health aspects but the very fact that you're asking the question illustrates the problem with resale. I know you say you're not planning on moving again but I'd probably not buy it

I did reject a house with a pylon at the bottom of the garden (again partly for resale concerns) but wouldn't be worried in the circumstances you describe.
My primary school had a pylon directly behind it and I've only recently spotted that the house I bought 9 years ago has a pylon within 100m. Like a PP mentioned, you'd be hard pressed to avoid them in urban areas.

i wouldn't but I do "hear" electricity, sometimes even from the wires that come into the house...we have a smallish doodah (transformer??) at the top of the pole that supplies all the row we are in.

I used to be able to hear tvs working too, but think either newer tvs do not make that noise or as I am old I just cannot hear it anymore!