The proposals outlined by Whitehall would see local residents pay a lump sum or an annual payment if pylons are built near them. Photo: Robert Brooke/The Image Bank
People living near new pylons will be given cash payments under proposals being developed to rapidly expand the electricity network.
Rishi Sunak pledged this week to “faster up decisions” on planning». for large energy projects as part of efforts to increase capacity and achieve net zero.
Construction of infrastructure, such as overhead cables needed to connect new power plants and wind farms to the grid, is a major source of delays.
Whitehall has now drawn up proposals that would see local residents given a lump sum payment or an annual payment if pylons are built near them.
Energy companies could also be required to pay for new infrastructure such as village halls , so that people «benefit» from their area by helping to expand the grid.
Under the plans, the government will set guidelines that companies will use to negotiate compensation packages with affected areas.
Ministers want to halve the current average time it takes to build a new energy project and then connect it to the grid (14 years).
Mr Sunak said on Wednesday that “there are enough projects waiting to be connected to provide more than half of our future electricity needs.»
The government will set rules that companies will use to negotiate compensation packages with affected areas. Photo: Kyaw Tiha/iStockphoto
But the project is likely to spark a backlash from Tory MPs, who are currently fighting proposals to build a new line of pylons across East Anglia.
Officials have developed plans that will “enable communities to play an active role.” in negotiations, management and provision of public goods.»
They wrote: “Direct public benefit will allow eligible people (usually located at sites within a certain distance from the network infrastructure) to receive direct payments, paid either in a lump sum or on a regular basis (for example, annually) over a specified period of time.< /p>
“Greater public goods will provide funding for local projects or investments to improve the economy, society and/or environment of the local area.”
But in a consultation document civil servants said it was “not feasible”. to compensate residents for their energy bills.
Tory MPs oppose the plans
A Department of Energy spokesman said: “We want to ensure that communities where transmission network infrastructure is located can benefit from supporting the supply of cheaper, safer and lower carbon energy for the whole of the UK, and consulted on proposals to make this happen.” /p>
“As part of our new reforms, we will ensure that the network infrastructure needed to deliver electricity to households and businesses is in place as part of our pragmatic, proportionate and realistic approach to achieving net zero.”
>
“We are considering responses to our consultation and will respond in due course.»
It comes after 13 Conservative MPs from across East Anglia and Essex wrote to Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho to oppose plans for a new chain of poles.
MPs represent constituencies that will be affected by the construction of new power lines from Norwich to Tilbury that will link offshore wind farms to the grid.
The MPs' letter pushed the government to back plans to reroute cables offshore to they did not spoil “our beautiful countryside.”
The signatories included Theresa Coffey, the environment secretary, Kemi Badenoch, the business secretary, and Priti Patel, the former home secretary.
Свежие комментарии