A controversial £793m project to construct 100 miles of pylons from Norwich to Tilbury has sparked outrage among local communities in eastern England.
The scheme, which forms part of the government’s net zero strategy, will see 50-metre-high pylons erected across the countryside.
Residents near Norwich have voiced strong opposition, warning the infrastructure will permanently scar areas of natural beauty.
Local businesses fear devastating impacts on tourism and community life, as homeowners face the prospect of towering electricity infrastructure in their back gardens.
The scheme, which forms part of the government’s net zero strategy, will see 50-metre-high pylons erected across the countryside (stock image)
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The project has drawn criticism for its intrusive approach, particularly as other UK regions have received less disruptive solutions.
Cross-party MPs have questioned why East Anglia has been denied the underground and offshore solutions offered to other regions.
Sir Bernard Jenkin, Tory MP for Harwich and North Essex, expressed particular frustration with the disparity in treatment.
“It rubs salt in the wound that other areas, from Scotland to north-east England, have the luxury of offshore schemes, but we in East Anglia do not. Our countryside is not worth the investment,” he said.
The Conservative MP warned that strong public opposition makes it unlikely the project will meet its delivery timeline.
Most similar infrastructure projects are concentrated in Britain’s north and north-eastern regions, despite these areas already having a high concentration of such installations.
The project’s costs have spiralled significantly beyond its initial £793m estimate due to ongoing delays.
Originally scheduled for completion in 2030, the deadline has already been pushed back to 2031.
According to estimates from the National Energy System Operator (NESO), each year of delay adds £4bn to the taxpayers’ bill.
The mounting costs and timeline extensions have intensified scrutiny of the project’s viability.
Local opposition has been particularly vocal about compensation arrangements for affected communities.
Marie Goldman, Liberal Democrat MP for Chelmsford, criticised the inadequacy of proposed community benefits.
“Developers suggest that they could provide community benefits, but with all due respect, the idea of having a community hall five miles down the road does not mitigate having massive pylons going past someone’s back garden,” she told The Telegraph.
Similar protests have emerged in other regions, with residents in Grimsby and across the Scottish Borders also opposing comparable infrastructure projects.
The pylon project is part of the Energy Department’s broader Great Grid Upgrade initiative.
This wider programme includes more than a dozen infrastructure projects already underway.
Eight of these projects will require overhead power lines, pylons or substations.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has defended the infrastructure plans.
A spokesperson said: “Our mission is for clean power by 2030 because clean, home-grown energy is the best way to protect billpayers and boost Britain’s energy independence.”
They added: “Without this infrastructure, we will never deliver clean power for the British people.”
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband faces mounting legal challenges from local leaders in Essex, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.
The former Labour leader has been accused of damaging landscapes through extensive green energy infrastructure rollout.
A group of Conservative MPs have escalated pressure by demanding a nationwide study into underground cable alternatives.
The previous Government had dismissed underground options, citing high costs.