Consultation on controversial National Grid scheme delayed

The consultation on plans for a grid upgrade from the East Anglian countryside to the North Sea has been delayed until after the general election.

National Grid said it was extending the consultation deadline by five weeks until 26 July, to allow people more time to provide their comments following the prime minister’s announcement that a general election will be held on 4 July.

The five remaining webinars on the Norwich to Tilbury scheme have also been moved until after the general election takes place.

The scheme has faced widespread opposition from locals, politicians and campaign groups since proposals were first announced.

Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk County Council leaders have repeatedly urged National Grid to look at other options and have said they will formally oppose the scheme as part of the ongoing consultation.

In April, Central Suffolk and Ipswich North MP Dan Poulter backed proposals to move parts of the scheme offshore, during energy security and net zero ministers’ question time.

He referenced the Electricity System Operator’s (ESO) recently published review of the East Anglian network as evidence for why the scheme should be moved offshore.

The ESO review examines 10 options for upgrades that would enable the region’s transmission network to cope with new wind farms being developed offshore.

Pointing to the review, Poulter said: “The electricity system operator review indicated that it will soon be cost-neutral to have an offshore option for that same energy transition, and that multiple points for connecting offshore wind turbines to the grid are facing planning problems.”

National Grid is currently proposing the construction of a new, mainly overhead, transmission line between Norwich and Tilbury, to supply power to London and the south east, which would cut through the Norfolk and Suffolk countryside.

The line consists of 158 km of new overhead line supported by 520 pylons, along with four sections of underground cabling, some of which would run through Suffolk’s designated Dedham Vale National Landscape.

Liam Walker, National Grid project director for Norwich to Tilbury, said: “We’d like to thank everyone for taking part in our statutory consultation so far, your comments and feedback are invaluable in helping to refine our proposals for this important development.

“In light of the general election, we felt it was important to extend the deadline for consultation responses and give everyone time to provide their comments. If you haven’t yet done so, please do get involved, visit our website and find out more.”