The significant increase in energy generated within and off the coast of Suffolk requires an upgrading of the transmission network.
This is complex and requires careful balancing of wider public benefit against the needs of local people and landscapes.
Greening the Great Grid Upgrade
Growing concerns about a lack of well thought through policies and joined up thinking around National Grid’s Great Grid Upgrade (GGU) led SPS (along with Essex and Norfolk branches of the CPRE, the countryside charity) to commission the 2024 Greening the Great Grid Upgrade report.
The report is a detailed critique of the GGU’s strengths and weaknesses and how it might be improved to
reduce the impacts on the countryside and ensure that impacted communities are properly heard.
The report concludes that National Grid is hurrying ahead too fast with its plans, risking leaving a legacy of individual projects that may be surplus to energy requirements, do not integrate with each other, fail to maximise their full environmental benefits and marginalise affected communities.
Norwich to Tilbury
Proposals for an additional 400kW pylon line that will run North/South through the county connecting Norwich to Tilbury were announced in April 2022.
Our position and responses on the Norwich to Tilbury line are available here.
Bramford to Twinstead upgrade – now consented
The DCO was grated for the upgrade of Bramford to Twinstead on 12 September 2024.
The project consists of upgrading of the pylon line through sensitive landscapes including the Dedham Vale National Landscape and the Stour Valley. SPS engaged throughout the consultation on how the proposals would impact these special landscapes and the setting of grade I listed Hintlesham Hall.
The existing smaller 132kV lines will be replaced with a larger 400kV line. Most of the stretch will be overground via a line of larger pylons but two small sections are proposed to be underground with 80m X 50m sealing end compounds in the countryside at the ends of each underground section.
A positive outcome of the decision is that following points made by Suffolk County Council during the Examination process, the Secretary of State agreed that National Grid should not wield so much control over the delivery of the project, recognising instead that local authorities are integral to the proper and fair delivery of NSIPs. Local authority approval of National Grid’s detailed construction and environmental management plans will be required prior to work starting – we hope a similar approach is taken with other NSIP energy projects and that the local authorities are able to ensure disruption for communities is carefully controlled.