Prime minister Rishi Sunak pledges to compensate disrupted communities

New pylons are one of a number of energy plans proposed for the East of England

The prime minister said he wanted local communities affected by new pylons, electricity substations or solar farms to be compensated for the disruption.

Rishi Sunak said it would acknowledge the "great thing" they would be doing in helping the country decarbonise and increase its energy security.

He also said the government was "completely committed" to building the Sizewell C nuclear power station.

But one campaigner said the PM was attempting to "bribe" the public.

In an interview by BBC East, Mr Sunak claimed that his recent row-back on net zero policies would particularly benefit households in rural parts of the East of England.

An artist's impression of the planned nuclear plant - Sizewell C - which is expected to cost about £20bn

Renewable energy along the region's coast has become a big success story, powering more than a third of homes in the UK and supporting thousands of jobs.

But it has come at a price, with local communities and politicians furious about plans to build more than 100 miles of pylons from Norwich to Tilbury and new electricity substations in the countryside.

And the prime minister recently said that he wanted to change planning rules to speed up connections to the National Grid.

"It's important that local communities have a say and that their needs are taken into account and we come to a balanced decision," the prime minister said.

Rishi Sunak said communities affected by new energy plans should benefit from them

"We want to make sure local people benefit whether it's through bill discounts or other financial compensation.

"We're consulting to see how best that could work with the energy companies and local communities, saying if stuff is coming near your area are there ways that the local community, which is doing something which is great for the country helping us to decarbonise and increase our energy security, benefit."

However, Rosie Pearson, founder of Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk Pylons Campaign, said: "Rishi Sunak has entirely gone back on the pledges he made during his leadership campaign when he promised offshore infrastructure.

"Now he's telling us to accept bribes for pylons instead of an offshore grid which he knows is cheaper, better and faster.

"To thank us for accepting habitat destruction and huge to impact to businesses, farmers and communities is, frankly, patronising."

On Sizewell C, Mr Sunak confirmed he remained completely committed to the project, despite fears about its growing cost and claims from some that the technology is old-fashioned.

Mr Sunak agrees that small modular reactors may be the way forward, but said: "Sizewell C is technology which is proven, we know it works and we need secure energy at home."

The government has already put £1bn into the start-up costs for the project and is now looking for private investors to join in.

"We've had quite strong, encouraging early interest from people who do want to invest - not just from people in the UK but around the world," the prime minister said.

'Minimising the costs'

But, when asked about a proposed levy on household bills to help pay for the project, he said: "The financing mechanism is currently being consulted on.

"I want to make sure we do this in a cost-effective way and that's why I'll be going through the numbers.

"I'm really focussed on minimising the costs to British households."

The Prime Minister's support for Sizewell C has been condemned by campaigners against the scheme.

Alison Downes, from Stop Sizewell C, said: "This project has all the makings of another HS2 - a huge hole in the government's balance sheet, with costs and schedule out of control.

"The government shouldn't throw our tax money into it, or make us pay for construction through our energy bills. No amount of compensation would atone for the damage it would do."

Mr Sunak was also keen to talk about his recent changes to the government's net zero targets, which will give people longer to fit heat pumps and buy electric cars.

"I got a lot of flak [for making the announcement] but I want to ease the cost for particularly rural families," he said.