Council urges watchdog to scrap pylon plans

Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) has written to the energy watchdog Ofgem urging it not to approve National Grid's plans for a line of pylons through the county.

The letter criticised National Grid for treating communities and stakeholders with disrespect and for having a lack of transparency over costs.

Over a year ago, the company announced the plan to install 420 pylons from Grimbys, through the Lincolnshire countryside, to Walpole.

The company said the development was needed to connect new green energy to the grid and to help meet government targets.

However, the scheme - dubbed The Great Grid Upgrade - faced opposition from councillors and residents due to concerns over its impact on the landscape.

The letter stated LCC had tried to liaise with National Grid to find out more details about how the plans would impact residents, but had "yet to receive the answers".

During the first round of public consultation, council leaders claimed National Grid was not giving enough consideration to more expensive but less intrusive options like underground cabling.

The company previously said the estimated cost for the pylon plan was just over £1bn, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

It said alternative options, like an underground cable or a subsea cable, would cost more, estimated at £6.5bn and £4.3bn respectively.

LCC previously wrote to National Grid and rebutted the company's claim that using pylons would be cheaper and asked for proof of the costs.

According to council leader Martin Hill, the company responded and deemed it an "unreasonable request".

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will make the final decision on whether the project goes ahead following a recommendation from the Planning Inspectorate.

Hill said he believed the Labour government was "determined to push this through no matter what" to "teach the countryside a lesson".

A spokesperson for National Grid said: "We shared costs for the Grimsby to Walpole project and alternatives, including underground cables, at our public consultation last year and they remain available to access on our website.

"We are confident that the information we shared, in our comprehensive strategic options report, and the processes we follow to identify and then assess potential strategic options, are robust, transparent, and the most appropriate.

"We are carefully considering Lincolnshire County Council's response to our first consultation and will publish a feedback report at our next consultation. We will continue to offer to meet with council officials to discuss the costs for the Grimsby to Walpole project in detail."

The LDRS has contacted Ofgem for comment.

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