Lincolnshire County Council joins region's councils to fight pylons

Lincolnshire County Council is planning to work alongside councils in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex to oppose proposed pylon plans from National Grid.

Officials from Essex County Council, Norfolk County Council, and Suffolk County Council have all agreed that the proposed plans to build two electricity networks — stretching from Grimsby to Walpole in Norfolk and from Norwich to Tilbury — are unacceptable.

LCC had previously criticised the proposed 87-mile pylon network, which would stretch across the east coast of the county, arguing that it would impact farming and holiday destinations.

Dubbed ‘The Great Grid Upgrade,’ the scheme aims to install 470 pylons across Lincolnshire and is expected to cost more than £1 billion.

Together with its counterparts, LCC is hoping to convince National Grid to rethink the plans and thoroughly consider alternative options, such as underground cables, which the firm had previously ruled out, citing that they would be six times as expensive.

Similarly, the Norwich to Tilbury plan aims to install a 112-mile power line across East Anglia.

Coun Martin Hill, leader of LCC, said: “We have been clear since National Grid first announced their plans to run a 140km line of 240, 50m-high electricity pylons through the Lincolnshire countryside that they would irreversibly change the character of our county and other options should be considered.

“We believe National Grid have prematurely ruled-out putting cables on the seabed to transport this energy to southern England. It now emerges that they have refused to take the views of certain parish meetings into account in their consultation, excluding some directly affected communities from contributing.

“National Grid don’t just have their eyes on Lincolnshire for their enormous pylons; similar proposals exist across East Anglia. We are speaking with counterparts in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, who share our views that these plans are unacceptable.

“We’re looking at how we can work together to get National Grid to rethink these plans, thoroughly assess alternative options, and truly listen to all the communities that pylons would impact.”

In a joint statement from Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex County Councils, a spokesperson added: “Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Lincolnshire County Councils met this week to discuss National Grid’s proposals to install pylons across our counties. We have agreed to continue to work together to look at how we proceed, and we will now consider what this means in more detail.”