Appendix to:
23/58 National Grid “East Anglian GREEN” Pylons
To discuss support for the Essex Suffolk Norfolk Pylons action group’s Briefing Note on the NG ESO Eastern Region Transmission Review 2023 document
Cllr Short updated the Council that in 2022 the East Anglia Green Energy Enablement Project consulted generally on a proposed scheme to bring ashore wind generated electricity from wind farms in the North Sea.
Their favoured solution was to install a series of pylons and overhead cables for some 180kms between Norfolk and Tilbury, some of which would impact the landscape to the north of West Bergholt. The full impact of this is set out in my summary dated October 2022 and which was circulated to the Council at the time.
We have been in correspondence with the Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk Pylons Action Group which has very ably objected to the proposals and the Parish Council’s contributions to their objections were set out in our subsequent letter to the Action Group where we pointed out that, firstly there was a huge disparity in costs between the overland route and an offshore route and secondly, that an underground route had never been included in the scoping project. Subsequently the Action Group issued a comprehensive review of the situation dated 13th March 2023.
I am pleased to note that the review had fully included our suggestions, namely that an underground routing be included in the scoping project and most importantly that a fully independent review of National Grid’s plans and costing be undertaken. The Action Group has now advised that as a result of their actions there will now be a National Grid ESO review of the whole of the East of England transmission infrastructure.
However, the Action Group has decided that the proposed review does not go far enough and that in addition to the previously proposed suggestions, the review will need to include a forecast of all wind farm capacity in the North Sea until 2050 along with a forecast of the impact of any additional land-based infrastructure, which may be required to service the new capacity.