A THURROCK councillor whose ward is likely to be under the shadow of a line of pylons carrying a new energy link from the North Sea is calling for it to be laid under water instead.

Earlier this week Thurrock Nub News reported on the National Grid's plan for the link to bring power generated by wind turbines off the coast of Suffolk and Essex to Tilbury.

The huge project is currently the subject of a consultation and East Tilbury councillor Fraser Massey is urging the plan-makers to go for a different method and scrap thoughts of huge pylons carrying the lines across countryside.

He says: "National Grid say it costs more to put the cables undersea and underground than pylons running right through our greenbelt.

"Just to put in perspective the same National Grid also returned underlying operating profit up 47% to £1.4bn.

"We deserve more than the cheap steel lattice pylon route. Literally streaming up from Tilbury past East Tilbury, Linford, Horndon, Orsett, Bulphan etc.

"It's time for National Grid to follow forward-thinking examples from overseas and put the correct long term solution in place. We know we need the power but don't take our greenbelt doing it."

Opposition to the scheme is growing as more consultation events take place: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-61387035

Cllr Massey hopes local people will take the opportunity to register their views online, adding: "National Grid's current proposals for a new over-ground pylon route across much of Thurrock and East Anglia are totally unacceptable.

"While I fully support the concept of North Sea wind farms to generate abundant, cheap, clean electricity. Furthermore, the recent increase in energy prices, coupled with the global insecurity of energy supplies gives added impetus to this strategy.

"At the recent public consultation events, National Grid confirmed that upgrades to the offshore route was a viable alternative. Therefore, my strongly preferred approach is an upgrade to the offshore route.

"By doing so, the environmental damage, disruption and despoliation that would be caused to East Anglia in particular Thurrock by the installation of hundreds of over-ground pylons would be minimised.

"I would ask that National Grid holds a proper public consultation on all options, with full details and costings being made available for public scrutiny, not simply an informal consultation on their pre-selected over-ground route.

"Necessary infrastructure should be delivered in a sustainable manner. For me, this means moving the proposed new pylon route to an off-shore location.

"I would urge all communities to have their say on National Grid's consultation portal, and sign the petition on this link."