Boston Borough Council backs UK-to-Denmark power plans

If approved, the Viking link would come ashore near Sutton on Sea and run via an underground cable to the National Grid station at Bicker Fen

Plans for an electricity link between Lincolnshire and Denmark have gained the support of a council which will accommodate part of the network.

The Viking Link is a proposed 473-mile (761km) electricity cable between Bicker Fen, near Boston, and Revsing, in southern Jutland.

It includes about 40 miles (64km) of cable running underground through four Lincolnshire council districts.

Boston Borough Council has become the second of them to back the scheme.

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The project, which is said to be a move towards "more renewable and low carbon sources of energy", is a partnership between the Danish electricity transmission company Energinet.dk, and the UK's National Grid.

As part of the scheme, planning applications were submitted to councils in East Lindsey, North Kesteven, Boston and South Holland, for an underground cable to connect the North Sea power line to the electricity grid.

However, the councils have been instructed by local government secretary Sajid Javid not to grant planning permission without specific authorisation to allow the application to be referred to him if required.

At a meeting on Tuesday, Boston councillors said they were "minded to approve the plans" if the government restrictions were lifted.

'Reduce prices'

Councillor Paul Skinner, Conservative member for Fishtoft, said it was needed "to provide energy security" in the future.

South Holland councillors also backed the proposals at a meeting in February.

If approved, underground cables would carry electricity from Sutton on Sea to a new converter station near Donington, and on to the existing National Grid substation at Bicker Fen.

National Grid Viking Link has said the scheme, which is hoped to be in place by 2022, would reduce prices and provide low carbon energy for one million households.

The two other authorities are due to discuss the plans over the coming weeks.