'Constable Country is not for sale'

Babergh District Council has restated its objections to a new row of electricity pylons cutting through the countryside after the Chancellor pledged in today’s Autumn Statement lower energy bills for those impacted.

National Grid has proposed an additional line of pylons and cables is installed across Babergh and Mid Suffolk – impacting on the environment, local communities and businesses.

Today, the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced plans to offer up to £10,000 off electricity bills over 10 years for those living closest to new transmission infrastructure.

But Babergh District Council’s acting leader, Cllr John Ward, said: “Constable Country is not for sale – once the landscape has been industrialised, nothing can compensate for this loss.

“We do not want to see a new row of ugly pylons cutting through our precious landscapes – and the pledge of lower energy bills for those living nearest to them does not change that view.”

Babergh’s deputy leader, Cllr Deborah Saw, added: "We recognise the national importance of strategic energy infrastructure for the transition to net zero, but believe there is a better option. We continue to stand with our communities to call for a strategic off-shore grid, which will minimise onshore infrastructure and the associated impacts of that.

“Much more work needs to be done on this, taking on board the feedback of our communities.”

Earlier this year, both Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils wrote to the Government restating their objections to plans for more pylons.