Pylon encroachment could soon pay out £250 a year

People who live near pylons and power infrastructure could soon be paid £250 annually for the inconvenience as part of the UK government’s Plan for Change and its ambition for clean power by 2030.

This, the government argues, will see rural communities receiving hundreds of pounds in their pockets for hosting vital infrastructure.

See also: Lincs farmland under threat from massive pylons project

Alongside money off bills, separate new guidance will set out how developers should ensure communities hosting transmission infrastructure can benefit, by for example funding projects such as sports clubs, educational programmes, or leisure facilities. 

Energy secretary Ed Miliband said: “The only way to make Britain energy secure and bring down bills for good is to get Britain off dependence on fossil fuel markets and replace it with clean, home-grown power that we control.”

He added that to do this, Britain needs to get building now. The UK government claims that about twice as much new transmission network infrastructure will be needed by 2030.

The upcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which goes through its first reading in the House of Commons this week, will include a number of other measures to unblock new energy infrastructure to deliver the government’s clean power mission. 

Environmental disaster 

Not everyone shares the UK government’s enthusiasm for the current strategy, however.

Opponents to National Grid plans and pylons across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex say community wishes are not reflected in outcomes and could spell disaster for the environment and food production.

Rosie Pearson, spokesperson for Essex Suffolk Norfolk Pylons, said: “We are hearing from residents up and down the 180km pylons route that what is now proposed is far worse than before, with hundreds of acres of farmland, a four-acre ancient coppiced woodland in Norfolk, and entire businesses at risk.”

Bruce and Jayne Marshall, who farm in Ardleigh, Essex, said: “For us, the targeted consultation would see total destruction of our farm and home. A further two fields are now within the draft order limits, leaving just one remaining field, which would be very uneconomical to manage.”

Response 

Responding to concerns, National Grid said the third round of consultations in the Norwich-to-Tilbury process included plans to increase underground cables to reduce effects on listed buildings, areas of archaeological interest, business activity and woodland, and modified pylon locations in specific areas across all three counties.

“We consider all technology options – offshore, underground, and overhead lines – and assess what is possible based on a range of factors, including engineering and environmental considerations, alongside a consultation process with feedback from local communities,” a spokesperson for National Grid said.

National Grid added that underground cables would cost five to ten times more than an overhead line, making them more expensive for bill payers, while also introducing additional environmental and engineering constraints. 

The costs to build offshore links, it says, are estimated at £4.1bn, compared to roughly £1bn for the onshore route.