A model aircraft club that has been running for 20 years says its future will be jeopardised if 400,000 volt power lines are installed in North Somerset.

Woodspring Wings Model Aircraft Club say Route 2, one of two proposed corridors identified by National Grid to bring electricity from a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point to a substation at Avonmouth, passes extremely close to its model airfield in Claverham Drove in the north of Yatton.

The two routes were identified following studies by the international electricity and gas company and a series of public events have been held to seek people's views on which route should be adopted.

Club chairman Mike Stanton said: "The impact of such large pylons carrying 400,000 volt cables on our club's activities could be disastrous, both from a physical viewpoint and an electro-magnetic one."

The club has written to National Grid, saying it believes the company is not even aware of its existence.

A copy of the letter, which was sent to the Evening Post, said: "Should National Grid propose to implement this Southerly route, its insensitive location could present such a physical barrier to safe flying and the appeal of our field as to render operations no longer viable and endanger the very existence of the club.

"The current asset is held under trust and, should National Grid's proposals curtail or diminish the club's activities, then it would feel constrained to seek adequate compensation associated with the potential relocation to another acceptable flying field within the immediate vicinity. This compensation would include not only financial but other meaningful assistance in the identification, acquisition, permission and physical replication of all current facilities to produce a seamless transition to members' flying activities."

The letter also details concerns that the power lines could cause electrical, magnetic or harmonic interference to radio frequencies.

Woodspring Wings Model Aircraft Club was formed in 1989 by a group of keen modellers whose ambitions were to form and run a club with the best possible facilities for safe model flying, matched only by a few other clubs in Europe.

This has successfully been achieved and the club now has more than 150 members aged seven and up.