Dear residents,
This letter is written on behalf of all your councillors (Lesley Wagland (Essex CC & Brentwood BC) Noelle Hones (Brentwood BC) Darryl Sankey (Brentwood BC) and Paul Jeater (on behalf of Ingatestone and Fryerning Parish Council). It concerns the National Grid scheme known as ‘East Anglia Green Energy Enablement (GREEN).
We wish to encourage everyone to respond to the consultation about this project that National Grid launched on 21 April, and which will close on 16 June 2022. We can’t emphasise enough the importance of responding in writing- in addition to signing petitions and attending exhibitions. Those most directly affected will already have received a response form document to complete and this can also be found at nationalgrid.com/east-anglia-green or telephone 0800 151 0992 for a paper copy.
National Grid propose to build a new 400Kv electricity transmission line over 180km affecting Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex involving overhead lines and 50m high pylons. They have published a preferred route but say in their consultation ‘the final locations will depend on any potential modifications, following feedback from this consultation’. For our villages, the route put forward would run above ground level through the Wid valley including Ingatestone.
There will be at least one more formal consultation about this project next year but the reason it is important for us all to respond to this one by June 16, is that National Grid must be told about all the important local features that matter to our communities and need to be protected from this project and this is an early opportunity to make National Grid fully aware of the strength of our residents’ view and concerns by responding now.
This project is designated a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) meaning it will bypass usual planning processes. After consulting formally, National Grid will submit an application for a Development Control Order (DCO), their application for that order will be subject of a public enquiry before an inspector who will make recommendations to Secretary of State for Transport.
Essex CC, Brentwood Borough Council and affected Parish Councils such as Ingatestone and Fryerning will be obtaining and evaluating technical information from National Grid, and the alternatives to the proposals, as well as responding to consultations and public enquiry. All your councils will make sure that National Grid takes into account the recently adopted Brentwood Borough Local Plan and Ingatestone & Fryerning Neighbourhood Plan.
We are unhappy at the shortness and inadequacy of the consultation particularly given the scale of this project. We will make sure that your voices are heard, ideally by writing individual letters.
If you would like to discuss this, please contact us using the details below
Yours sincerely
Cllr Lesley Wagland – 07753361962 Cllr.lesley.wagland@essex.gov.uk
Cllr Noelle Hones- 079886174969 noelle.hones@brentwood.gov.uk
Cllr Darryl Sankey- 07905222691 darryl.sankey@brentwood.gov.uk
Cllr Paul Jeater- 07889232042 paul.jeater@ingatestone-fryerningpc.gov.uk
