National Grid will 'carefully consider' pylon plan

Proposals include installing 420 pylons through 87 miles of Lincolnshire countryside

A spokesperson for the National Grid says it will "carefully consider" feedback about plans to install a line of overhead electricity pylons through Lincolnshire.

Public consultation to install 420 pylons up to 164ft (50m) high along an 87-mile (140km) stretch has ended.

The infrastructure, costing £1bn, would run between Grimsby and Walpole in Norfolk.

Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) confirmed it could take legal action and a petition against the plan received over 6,000 signatures.

Mr Knight-Gregson said a further consultation will be held in 2025

The leader of Lincolnshire County Council, Martin Hill, accused National Grid of "dismissing putting the cables on the sea bed, which has happened from Scotland to the Humber".

National Grid said installing pylons offshore would cost an additional £3.3bn.

Steve Knight-Gregson, head of external affairs at the National Grid, said they are a "long way" from applying for consent.

He estimated the proposals would be applied for in early 2027 and a decision would be made in late 2028.

The project would be paid for by customers through their bills over the next 40 years.

'More detailed proposals'

Mr Knight-Gregson said: "It's a very early stage and it's right that we bring our proposals to local communities.

"We will be carefully considering all of the feedback that we have received from this first stage of consultation before we draw up more detailed proposals."

A further consultation will be held in 2025, to show how the feedback has influenced National Grid's proposals.

Mr Knight-Gregson said that the pylon plan has been proposed as the "demand for electricity is set to double" with the move towards more renewable energy.

This includes offshore wind and solar energy.

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