Council urges communities to act as hearing for ‘ill-considered’ pylon project nears

At its Cabinet meeting on 4 November 2025, members will be asked to approve the county council’s Relevant Representations to the Planning Inspectorate during Examination – maintaining its long-held, staunch opposition to the scheme.

The Examination period, expected to take place early in the new year, is a chance for those affected by the scheme to share evidence, objections or support. The process is designed to be transparent and inclusive, allowing community voices to be heard.

The county council’s objections primarily include:

• a clear preference for alternative options, in particular cable undergrounding, or possibly an offshore solution
• to formally and strongly request National Grid pausing the proposals, to enable the effective consideration of the alternatives

Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Devolution, Local Government Reorganisation and NSIPs, said:

“This project is simply unsuitable, and ill-considered.

“With approval by Cabinet, we will be setting out to the Planning Inspectorate the multitude of reasons why it should not proceed – not least that HVDC underground and offshore alternatives have not been properly considered.

“Throughout the project’s consultation periods and in this latest cabinet report, we have submitted tens of thousands of words to highlight a host of mitigations and issues with the scheme.

“Serious, fundamental concerns remain and we will pursue these and set out our position in front of the Planning Inspectorate in the new year.”

32 Suffolk parishes would be directly affected by the project which would see 114 miles of pylons cutting through countryside, sensitive landscapes and communities in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex.

Suffolk County Council is urging local communities and parish councils to make sure that they are officially registered to have their say.

Anyone wishing to formally take part as an Interested Party during the official Examination process, must submit their details with the Planning Inspectorate by Thursday 27 November 2025.

Councillor Rout said:

“It is vital that our local communities register in time, if they want their voice to be heard in front of the Planning Inspectorate.

“Even if the Secretary of State decides that it can go ahead, this is an opportunity to have an influence to shape, change, and improve the project.

“Unfortunately we have seen instances with other projects, where parishes have missed the deadline for registration and have been unable participate in the Examination.

“Throughout the consultations for the scheme, Suffolk County Council has put local communities at the forefront of our objections and recommendations. We will continue to do so through the Examination phase.”

Suffolk County Council’s response to previous consultations for the Norwich to Tilbury project can be found at suffolk.gov.uk