RESPONSE SUBMISSION TO THE NATIONAL GRID “CONSULTATION” JULY TO AUGUST 2023

DATE: 31st July 2023

In responding to the published consultation, this council fundamentally disagrees with
National Grid’s outline proposal to install 180 km of Pylons through East Anglia, running
from Norwich to Tilbury.
In making this submission we would like to express support for the representations made by
the Essex Suffolk Norfolk Pylons Action group and submissions by the North West and South
West Chelmsford (Essex) Parish Councils Group.
Both members of this Council and local residents have attended events held by National
Grid, most recently at Chelmsford Racecourse in July 2023, and unfortunately feel that as
the consultation is non statutory, the concerns of the community will not be given the
weight they so rightly deserve.
Having reviewed the information available, we deem there to be no need for this
destructive project. We believe there is a perfectly viable alternative – offshore, undersea
cabling, resulting in an Offshore Integrated Grid. Unfortunately, this option is yet to be
presented by National Grid in as fully rounded a proposal as their Norwich to Tilbury Pylon
proposal. We have been informed a costed review of this is being undertaken but it will not
form part of this consultation process. National Grid’s own ESO concluded in its November
2020 report “Cost-Benefit Analysis of Offshore Transmission Network Designs” that the
Integrated approach is more advantageous overall, because:
1. The integrated design scores betters on CAPEX and OPEX allowing for 18% savings in
the total expenditure for the development of offshore transmission grid in GB.
2. The Integrated design scores better on environmental impacts, social and local
impacts by significantly reducing (more than 50%) the number of onshore landing
points in sensitive areas and utilising less cables.
3. The integrated design also scores better on all qualitative KPIs that are related to the
security of electricity supply.
4. For system costs, RES curtailment, CO2 emissions and grid losses, there is no notable
difference between the Integrated and the Counterfactual alternatives.
We have seen no evidence to counter the ESOs report and our argument is that if
anything, recent advances in technology, environmental and social changes will have
made an integrated solution more compelling.
What has been presented to date is a “fait accompli” by National Grid, justified through
“this is in line with our statutory obligations”. National Grid, as a corporation, state their
primary obligation is to its shareholders ie. NOT the bill payer and certainly NOT the
communities whose environments it seeks to blight with this scheme.
The parish of Roxwell will have, the map suggests, some pylons to its East. Of great concern
is the impact, both visual and physical, to the residents of this parish. It is likely that most, if
not all, residents will have sight of these 50m high monstrosities!
The estimated cost of installing the overhead pylons does not currently include the full
environmental burden; that being the destruction of wildlife, the contravening of protected
views, decimation of countryside, impact on heritage and listed buildings as well as the toll
on residents mental health. These consequences will be felt during the installation of the
pylons as well as for the lifespan of the project and beyond. Planning has not been granted
yet already the prospect of this project is adversely affecting residents of our local area,
wracked with apprehension about the impact this scheme will have on their own lives and
livelihoods as well as house prices.
Roxwell Parish Council implores National Grid to re-assess the process of transporting
electricity produced in the North Sea to London (the area of need as identified by NG). We
would like to see a 21st Century solution for a 21st Century problem!

Cllr. Kenneth R Smith
Chairman Roxwell Parish Council