Another cross-country electricity pylon scheme in Lincolnshire would also prove too expensive to put underground, says National Grid.
The company has already said its major upgrade project from Grimsby to Walpole would see more pylons and overhead cables across 87 miles of the county.
Now its smaller project from Weston Marsh to East Leicestershire, 38 miles, is also in the firing line.
The National Grid lowered the height of the proposed line in one section of the Walpole scheme in a bid to negate the intrusion into the flat landscape – but said it was too expensive to put the cables underground.
Now it has defended its plans to build a further 60km of pylons between Lincolnshire and Leicestershire, saying that alternative methods would be four times more expensive.
The firm has proposed installing a string of pylons between Weston Marsh, near Spalding, and Ab Kettleby, East Leicestershire, in a bid to upgrade the power network.
It will also build two new substations including one near Corby Glen and the other at Weston Marsh.
At a planning committee meeting at South Kesteven District Council on August 28, councillors raised concerns about the impact of the pylons on the landscape and local communities as well as the loss of agricultural land – and asked why the new cables cannot be underground instead.
National Grid told the Local Democracy Reporting Service its plan would cost £597.8 million, while it would cost £2,911.7 million for AC (alternating current) underground cables and £2,518.3 million if it used HVDC (high-voltage direct current electricity) underground cables.
A spokesperson said: “National Grid’s Weston Marsh to East Leicestershire project is essential to deliver cleaner, homegrown, more affordable electricity to where it is needed, helping to meet the rising demand for electricity in Lincolnshire and increasing Britain’s energy security.
“Underground options have been considered, but at approximately four times more expensive for underground cables overhead lines using pylons is the most efficient, reliable and cost-effective way to deliver this urgent infrastructure for all electricity bill payers.”
South Kesteven District Council will consult with councillors and residents on the proposals and will submit its recommendations to National Grid at a later date.
The No Pylons (Lincolnshire) protest group has been leading the opposition to both proposals which would bring energy created offshore, windfarms, back to the mainland for distribution via the National Grid.
The group has a page on Facebook.
