By Cllr Greg Peck

County councillors in Norfolk have objected to a proposal to construct an electricity transmission line across the county.

National Grid has launched a statutory consultation on plans for a 114-mile overhead power line between Norwich in Norfolk, Bramford in Suffolk and Tilbury in Essex.

In non-statutory consultations, Norfolk County Council has urged National Grid to reconsider the scheme, but the project will be determined by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project.

Norfolk County Council’s planning and highways delegations committee have agreed to object to the proposal, arguing that alternative options, including an offshore or underground scheme, has not been adequately considered.

At a recent full council meeting, councillors backed a motion expressing concerns over the proposals. That motion called for the leader of the council to write to National Grid with several requests, including further consideration of an offshore alternative and of putting more of the power line underground.

There are plans for more pylons to come, including some from Lincolnshire through Norfolk to feed the demand for electricity in the southeast.

We know that more offshore wind turbines are planned in the North Sea in the future, and the previous government had said that they would support an offshore solution to prevent any more underground cable routes coming through Norfolk.

While the disruption we are suffering with the three currently approved cable routes is bad, I think we all can agree that giant pylons across the Norfolk countryside would be even more unacceptable.

The new government have made it clear they will support the use of pylons.

Cllr Greg Peck, Norfolk County Council, Reepham Division
Tel: 07972 230282
Email: greg.peck.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk