This beautiful part of East Anglia is at serious risk of seeing proposals by National Grid scarring the landscape with 114 miles of gigantic pylons marching across the countryside. I have been very clear as Leader of Suffolk County Council in our response that the proposals put forward are unacceptable. Our communities must be treated fairly with the impact fully understood. This has not been the approach taken by National Grid and they must be held to account.
There are arguments from National Grid that the cost of burying out at sea or going underground would be three times the cost compared to pylons going overground. Well if they can do it in Scotland to preserve the countryside then why not here? The heart of Suffolk is renowned for its landscape and this must be protected.
National Grid will continue to be held to account and a more appropriate scheme must developed that protects our part of East Anglia from this blight. I have recently written to National Grid with the Leaders of Essex CC and Norfolk CC expressing our collective concerns. See the letter here: twitter.com/HicksCllr