Councillors advised to approve new energy station in Drax

A renewable energy station would be a blot on North Yorkshire's landscape, planners have warned.

However, at an upcoming meeting, councillors will be told to approve National Grid's application for the structure off New Road, Drax.

According to a report, it would transport green electricity from Scotland to England and help with net zero greenhouse gas emissions targets.

Planning officers have raised concerns over "adverse landscape effects".

The proposed convertor station is part of National Grid's Scotland England Green Link 2 (SEGL2) scheme and would be sited on a platform measuring up to 200m by 250m.

The firm is also seeking permission to install high voltage direct current underground cables from the River Ouse to the converter station.

It also wants to install high voltage alternating current underground cables from the converter station to the existing Drax 400 kV substation, the Local Democracy Service reports.

Cable installation and commissioning for the proposed route, which will include 60m-wide trenches, is scheduled to be completed by 2029.

The firm highlighted that of the 34.6 hectares (85.4 acres) of agricultural land, about 5% was rated as "top quality" farmland.

It said while grid connections were being exhausted and renewable energy schemes were facing long wait times, projects such as SEGL2 were "fundamental" to achieving net zero targets.

Planning documents stated the project would provide additional north-south transmission capacity to cope with huge volumes of renewable energy generation connecting to the system over the coming years.

A planning officer's report to the committee stated the proposals did not sufficiently minimise "likely significant adverse landscape and visual effects".

They also did not provide sufficient new opportunities to better join up existing or create new green infrastructure, the planning officer added.

The report concluded there was a clear need for the scheme as the transmission of renewable energy across the country was seen as a significant part of the current strategy to meet net zero emissions.

North Yorkshire Council's strategic planning committee will consider the planning application at a meeting on 8 August.

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