Council votes to oppose electricity pylon plan

A council has voted to oppose a plan to roll out 37 miles (60km) of electricity pylons across the Derbyshire countryside.

Reform-UK controlled Derbyshire County Council voted in favour of taking a stance against National Grid's proposed Chesterfield to Willington pylon scheme in its current form.

Concerns have been raised about the potential visual impact, disruption and feared damage for the countryside, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

National Grid said it wanted to build the 50m (164ft) pylons to help meet the challenges of climate change by producing less harmful energy.

The company argued the project would transport clean energy from the North of England to homes and businesses in the Midlands.

Councillors made the vote after Stop the Pylons Derbyshire protesters held a demonstration outside the authority's County Hall in Matlock on Wednesday.

Martin Bromley, a Reform councillor who brought forward the motion to take a stance against the plans, said: "As we all probably know National Grid proposes to run a line of pylons – or should I say super pylons – from Chesterfield in the north to Willington in the south of our county.

"Along the way, decimating our beautiful countryside and threatening to destroy our communities. We are not against upgrading the power infrastructure, we just want it doing in a better way."

The scale of the project means the final decision about whether it goes ahead does not lie with any local planning authorities.

The energy company will have to apply to the Planning Inspectorate for a Development Consent Order and the Planning Inspectorate will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State who makes the final decision.

Originally an application was expected to be submitted for consideration by 2026, and if it is eventually approved construction could start by 2028 and be completed in 2031.

The county council also voted to call on National Grid to be made liable for the upgrading costs, and to call on the Secretary of State for Energy to personally intervene in the matter.

A National Grid spokesperson said: "This project is essential to connect the Midlands to cleaner, home-grown energy from more affordable sources, supporting jobs, regional growth and energy security.

"We understand the importance of farmland and rural communities. Most farming can continue around infrastructure, with only the land directly beneath each pylon permanently affected."

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