‘Food security does not need to be traded for energy security!’ Campaign group backs plans to make the Fens protected area

An action group says it ‘wholeheartedly’ support moves to protect the Fens landscape.

No Pylons Lincolnshire has backed a motion to be put before South Holland’s district councillors tonight (Wednesday) which calls for ‘national authorities and infrastructure project planners to recognise the importance of the Fenland landscape and South Holland’s role as a food-producing area’.

Agreeing with councillors’ calls to safeguard our agricultural industry, No Pylons added ‘food security does not need to be traded for energy security’.

“We enthusiastically applaud SHDC for taking this initiative,” a statement said.

“We agree wholeheartedly with the emphasis it is placing on the area's vital food security role and the risks to that from the proposed industrialisation.

“Food security does not need to be traded for energy security when there are cost-effective alternatives to tap into green, renewable energy without sacrificing the best food-growing land in the country.”

The motion, put forward by Coun Laura Eldridge, states SHDC believes:

* It is essential to preserve the Fenland landscape to maintain its ecological balance, scenic beauty, and historical significance.

* Protecting our agricultural lands is vital for the continued prosperity of local farmers and the broader agricultural industry, ensuring ongoing food production capacity and the nationally significant role that our area plays in feeding the country.

* Any development or infrastructure project within our district must be carefully planned and executed to minimize adverse impacts on our landscape and agricultural productivity.

“We again appeal to National Grid to be honest and transparent about the real total cost of pylons versus underground and undersea,” added the statement from the group, which is campaigning against the National Grid’s plans for a £1.07 billion project to lay 420 pylons across an 87-mile stretch between Grimsby and Walpole, near King’s Lynn, to bring in power from off-shore windfarms as part of a major infrastructure upgrade.

“Through collaboration with experts from fellow campaign groups in other parts of the country facing the same challenges we believe National Grid may have underestimated the total cost of pylons by up to eight times.

“It says £1 billion - we think closer to £8 billion. That narrows significantly the cost difference between overhead and underground and undersea.

“Given that the infrastructure, which ever it may be, will last 40 to 50 years, and the cost will be spread between all households in the country, the real cost difference will be pennies a week per household.

“Pennies to secure a future with clean, green, renewable energy which has not ruined the countryside and not robbed us of land vital to the country's food security.”

A National Grid statement said: “When we are developing new electricity infrastructure projects, we consider all technology options and share them at public consultation.

“The government and our regulator Ofgem require us to assess our proposals against a range of factors, including value for money to bill payers and impact on the community and environment to ensure they are in line with current planning policy, our licence obligations, and net zero targets.”