A THURROCK councillor is calling on the local authority and residents to join a growing campaign against a huge network of power cables planned to be built through local green belt.

East Tilbury Cllr Fraser Massey was among the first to react with concern after plans for the project were highlighted on Thurrock Nub News in May as the National Grid -through an organisation called East Anglia Green - launched a consultation on its plans to create a network to take power generated by turbines in the North Sea to Tilbury.

Cllr Massey called for the scheme to look at alternative methods, including transmission by an underwater connection.

Today (Monday, 27 June) he spoke to Thurrock Nub News, saying: "When these proposals from National Grid were first presented I did question if this was the only way on getting green energy across the South East.

"After doing some research I found I was not alone, and a growing campaign was underway. The message of that campaign is very clear, rather than devastate greenbelt and our views all the way from Tilbury to Norfolk, put the cables underwater in an offshore grid.

Cllr Fraser Massey.

"East Tilbury and Thurrock in general have had fair share of infrastructure for the rest of the country for too long, we have recently just got some future green spaces to look forward to now quarrying near the village has ceased, the last thing we want is a string of steel pylons every 450 metres across the landscape.

"National Grid need to go back to the drawing board and bring forward options as a proposal rather than the quick and cost effective lattice pylon route."

However, Cllr Massey has appeared almost as a lone voice in Thurrock. While other local authorities, including neighbouring Brentwood. Its district council is formally opposing the plans that could see the 400kV power line built through rural land – including an area set aside for a 4,000-home garden village.

Speaking in support of a motion carried at Brentwood Council's ordinary meeting on June 22 objecting to the East Anglia Green proposals Conservative Cllr Noelle Hones said: "This is an appalling scheme that this council should object to it in the strongest terms.

"This is one issue that has generated more emails of complaint than any other in all the years I've been a councillor. There's real anger out there about this and it's not just a nimbyism but it's real concern about the blight that these pylons will put on the countryside and the harm that the project will do to the environment."

Brentwood Council leader Cllr Chris Hossack shares Cllr Massey's view that an underwater option would be best. He said: "It's ill-thought through. I question the level of thought that went into this and maybe there's another strategy of play that we're not aware of.

"Offshore cabling should be the way forward. To generate power offshore and run it across land to take it to Tilbury which is pretty close to offshore is a rather stupid idea as far as I'm concerned."

And further north many other councils are leading opposition and residents have joined in too, raising petitions and placing anti-power line placards in their gardens.

The silence in Thurrock has almost been deafening. While the formal consultation process is now closed, Cllr Massey believes public opinion is still vital. He is urging people to engage in opposition and for the council to take a formal stance against the scheme, adding: "It's not good enough, East Tilbury and Thurrock deserve better."