Essex pylons project moving closer to going offshore, MP says

But Harwich and North Essex MP Bernard Jenkin has said he believes the battle against a huge onshore pylon project is now 90 per cent won, thanks to the efforts of campaigners.

The scheme involves 113 miles of pylons from Norwich to Tilbury, and has caused uproar among thousands of residents and environmental activists who argue the project will ruin an area of outstanding natural beauty when there are other, more efficient alternatives to onshore powerlines.

Now, Sir Bernard has said he has been given a 90 per cent assurance that the power generated from the North Falls and Five Estuaries windfarms in the North Sea will be transported offshore by linking up with the grid which runs from Sizewell in Suffolk all the way to Kent.

Should the plan come to fruition, it would mean the onshore project – which would result in a new substation in Ardleigh and underground wires through Stour Valley – could be ditched for good.

Speaking to the Gazette, Sir Bernard said: “I am assured that it is 90 per cent certain that [power generated from] North Falls and Five Estuaries will now hook into Sea Link, the offshore bootstrap from Sizewell to East Kent from where there is enough capacity to take the power to London.

“I am advised that this will be cheaper, involve far less mileage of cable, and fewer transformers, so may well prove cheaper.”

Campaigning – Sara Naylor, Darius Laws, Rosie Pearson, Sir Bernard Jenkin were at a meeting earlier this month where further steps were explored to stop the onshore pylon project (Image: Isabella Jack)

Sir Bernard confirmed a meeting is still on the cards with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, regardless of whether the plans are rethought or not.

The Conservative MP continued by claiming the plans would save the Dedham Vale area of outstanding natural beauty from “complete catastrophe”.

He continued: “This saves Dedham Vale and the whole area from what would otherwise be a complete catastrophe, from a conservation point of view.

“Pylons are a terrible blight and undergrounding of cables incredibly destructive of nature and archaeological sites.”

Sir Bernard also had praise for campaigners who, he says, have written to him in their thousands to oppose the plans devised by National Grid.

“I heard from one minister was assured that the protests need cause no concern, because the planning system meant “there is nothing they can do” [to stop the scheme],” he said.

“But what we have drawn upon is massive energy from thousands of people, some with real expertise and understanding about the electricity industry and infrastructure planning.

Inundated – Sir Bernard said he had been deluged with literally thousands of emails from constituents raising concerns about the pylons (Image: Newsquest)

“I am pleased that National Grid, ESO and the government feel they can take a more enlightened, strategic approach, but this would not be happening now were it not for the campaign we have mounted.”

National Grid has offered no guarantees the onshore project will be halted, but they have, however, said it could be reviewed.

A spokesman said: “National Grid’s subsea Sea Link project is part of consortium including two offshore wind farms, North Falls and Five Estuaries that will now, as part of the Government’s Offshore Coordination Support Scheme (OCSS), undertake a series of studies and assessments to determine the feasibility, challenges, and solutions to enable a co-ordinated offshore connection.

“Norwich to Tilbury, a proposed onshore pylon project due to the capacity of energy needed to be delivered, is not part of the consortium that has been awarded funding.

“Separately, the Electricity System Operator is reviewing whether offshore co-ordination would have an impact on Norwich to Tilbury and if this should change, we would of course review and engage with impacted communities and stakeholders.”