Babergh and Mid Suffolk councils object National Grid’s Norwich to Tilbury pylon scheme

Two Suffolk authorities have formally objected to a ‘destructive’ pylon scheme.

During the cabinet meetings for both Babergh and Mid Suffolk councils earlier this week, councillors discussed their proposed joint response to National Grid’s Norwich to Tilbury pylon project.

The scheme would see the 114-mile-long power line, some of which would be underground, cut through Suffolk to connect energy from offshore wind farms to the transmission network, sending it out to the wider national grid.

The large infrastructure project has proved controversial in local communities and councils have agreed to oppose the development, preparing a technical report which includes concerns over biodiversity, heritage, public health, economic development, and skills.

Cllr Sallie Davies, Babergh’s cabinet member for planning, proposed the objection to the ‘destructive’ project.

She said: “We do need infrastructure to feed our growing need for electricity as we transition from fossil fuels to clean renewable energy, our councils do not dispute this.

“What we do dispute is that miles of pylons across our countryside is the right way to provide this infrastructure.”

“We want National Grid to properly explore the alternatives that are rapidly emerging instead of ploughing on with the pylons.”

These alternatives include offshore options as well as high-voltage direct current underground lines.

In Mid Suffolk, Cllr Andrew Stringer, who deals with heritage and planning, warned against treating objecting communities as nymbyism — opposition for opposition’s sake if it affects someone’s locality.

He said: “Often people get accused, if they react negatively to infrastructure like this, as being NIMBYs — I don’t like the term.

“People care about their landscape, they care about their environment, they care about their social structures, and infrastructure projects like this do affect all of those.”

Cllr Deborah Saw, Babergh’s leader, added: “We are very much in favour [of renewable energy] but we also want to preserve our landscape, our diversity, and we want the best solution for our residents.

“We are not NIMBYs in any shape or form but we will protect our districts and the livelihoods of our residents.”

The joint response calls on National Grid to pause the scheme for alternatives to be considered properly and consulted upon.

It reads: “This rational delay would be more likely to enable the delivery of the objectives of this and other projects in the region whilst minimising the impacts of such developments on the districts’ communities and environment.”