Priti Patel opposes 110-mile pylon plan in East Anglia

Former Home Secretary has opposed plans for a 110-mile stretch of 164ft pylons in East Anglia, warning that they will blight landscapes and harm the environment

Proposals and a reported plan for a 110-mile stretch of 164ft pylons in East Anglia have come under fire from former Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Patel has warned that the electricity pylons will blight some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes and harm the environment.

Writing in The Express, Patel called on energy bosses to reconsider their plans and instead build an offshore grid.

The former Home Secretary said: “Going through Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, this corridor of metal will blight some of our most beautiful landscapes and harm the environment.

“National Grid, the government and the commercial interests involved must take note of our concerns and revise their plans otherwise parts of our countryside will be lost forever, and an opportunity to create a sustainable new offshore energy grid will be missed.”

It has been reported that more than 23,000 people have signed a petition calling for an offshore grid to be built, which could help the UK sell electricity to neighbouring nations.

An offshore grid would also look to the future and facilitate more wind farm electricity generation, according to Patel.

However, the plans have been defended by the government and energy bosses who argue that the pylons are necessary to transport green energy from offshore wind farms to the national grid.

The proposed pylon route will run through Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, cutting across swathes of countryside.

A National Grid spokesperson told ELN: “We are carefully considering the consultation feedback we’ve received from communities and stakeholders across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex as we develop our East Anglia GREEN proposals further.

“The project is one of the essential network upgrades needed to deliver on the UK’s net zero target – without it, cleaner, greener energy generated offshore would not be able to be transported to homes and businesses across the country.

“Connecting more clean British electricity sources, such as offshore wind, will reduce our reliance on global fossil fuels, and will help reduce electricity bills for everyone in the long term.

The UK Government and our regulator Ofgem require us to develop proposals which represent value for money for consumers, while being in line with current planning policy and licence obligations.”

Make sure you check out the latest Net Hero Podcast episode:

Latest Podcast