DESNZ, under the leadership of Grant Shapps, the Energy Security Secretary, has expressed support for National Grid’s comprehensive plans for radical planning reform. These plans aim to expedite the construction of additional overhead cables and pylons, reducing the current seven-year waiting period typically required for formal consent. However, the proposals put forward by DESNZ are encountering resistance from the housing and environment departments, as officials are concerned about potential public backlash due to the significant relaxation of planning restrictions for energy projects.
The proposed approach involves the issuance of a National Policy Statement later this year. These guidelines would effectively mandate planning inspectors to approve projects necessary for the UK to achieve its targets. Subsequently, a separate document would outline specific schemes, including electricity transmission cables, pylons, and wind farms, that are integral to the government’s net-zero plans. This would ensure that each proposal receives the full support of planning law.
Furthermore, ministers are aiming to streamline the planning process for the construction of new transmission cables and pylons, specifically reducing the final 18 months of the seven-year period known as the Development Consent Order process. Richard Pettigrew, CEO of National Grid Ventures, suggests that three to six months could be shaved off this crucial stage. Despite the inevitability of some local opposition to these plans, John Armitt, chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, emphasizes the importance of making these necessary transitions in the face of climate change and achieving net-zero targets.
To mitigate legal challenges and ensure greater clarity, Pettigrew highlights the need for a well-structured balance between project landing sites and their impact on local communities. Currently, such disputes can lead to a two-year-long judicial review process. By providing greater clarity on the urgency and alignment with government policy, the likelihood of legal challenges can be minimized.
National Grid has alerted the government that the initial draft National Policy Statement fails to adequately convey the required pace and urgency. The company has submitted a formal response to the recent consultation on the document. Pettigrew stresses the importance of a clear statement that recognizes the critical urgency of extending energy-related infrastructure to support net-zero goals. This would reduce ambiguity and the likelihood of legal challenges that often arise in these processes.
National Grid has also proposed incentivizing local communities with benefits such as lower energy bills for those living near new energy infrastructure. Barney Wharton, director of Future Electricity Systems at Renewable UK, calls for a national debate on the necessary infrastructure, its locations, and the construction methods required. He acknowledges that this represents a fundamental change in the way we design our power systems, particularly in regions like East Anglia that are experiencing a significant increase in electrical infrastructure due to new wind farms.
Maps created by National Grid depict hundreds of miles of new pylons and overhead cables that need to be completed by 2030, including a 112-mile power line connecting two wind farms off the Suffolk coast. This project has already faced considerable opposition in Therese Coffey’s Suffolk Coastal constituency. Additionally, National Grid has recently published plans for 55 miles of new power lines between North Humber and High Marnham in Nottinghamshire.
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