Agenda item

Pursuant to the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 12, Council will consider a motion, notice of which has been given by Councillor Fairley.

Earlier on in the meeting, as recorded under Minute 19 above, Councillor Fairley had declared a DPI and a Non-Registerable Interest in this matter but also she had been granted a dispensation.

Council had before it the following motion, notice of which had been given by Councillor Zoe Fairley pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 12:-

“This Council notes that the National Grid Electricity Transmission’s (NGET) third and final statutory consultation has now closed and that the consultation response from this Council was submitted prior to the extended closing date of 26 July 2024.

This Council is fully aware that National Grid’s proposals could also create and cause the need for the Five Estuaries, North Falls and Tarchon Energy Ltd projects to land on the District’s coast, with their own proposed cable routes running across our District to their own sub-stations and for Tarchon Energy Ltd, a future interconnector will be required.  The cumulative impacts of these projects threaten a potentially devastating effect for our District. 

This Council therefore remains dissatisfied that alternative options have not been given due and proper consideration in the planning process to date to remove or otherwise mitigate these effects, including impact on our highways, our local economy, the environment, our landscapes and heritage, farm businesses and the health and wellbeing of our communities, to highlight but a few. 

This Council recognises that the country has had a change of Government and a new Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero appointed, in Ed Milliband MP.

Therefore, this Council continues to express its deep concerns for these electricity network proposals, and calls upon  the Leader of the Council to write to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Milliband MP to:-

1. Congratulate him on his appointment.
2. Request him to consider, as a long-term strategic solution, an integrated off shore grid, as elsewhere in Europe, asking for the overall cost comparison to be assessed and reported.
3. Request that he re-examines the Norwich to Tilbury proposals, given that North Falls and Five Estuaries have expressed themselves more than happy to connect off shore and National Grid’s Electricity System Operator (ESO) has identified affordable, deliverable alternatives to manage the case.

https://www.nationalgrideso.com/document/304496/download

ESO CF W3 Report - Final (ofgem.gov.uk)

4. Request also, that the Tarchon interconnector should not be allowed to proceed at all, given the work by ESO and Arup, demonstrating that it is against the National Interest and raises costs for UK bill payers by some £5billion.

Multi-Criteria Assessment framework report for Cap and Floor W3 and Offshore Hybrid assets Pilot Projects (ofgem.gov.uk)

Market Modelling Analysis for Cap and Floor W3 and Offshore Hybrid Assets Pilot Projects (ofgem.gov.uk)

Tarchon consultation draft 2 (bernardjenkin.com)

5. Point out that HVDC undergrounding, which is also being done in Germany, has been assessed by National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), as being better and cheaper than pylons, within its Eastern Green Link Consultation (see para 5.0.2 in below link) and request the same should be investigated for Norwich to Tilbury.

https://www.nationalgrid.com/document/151426/download

6. Request, that further to ESO modelling, to make best use of power available in the East of England, he considers upgrades to reinforce the existing grid, to include options such as TS Conductors’ technology, which is being prioritised in policy in the USA; enable use of existing brown field sites as landing points; and considers North Falls and Five Estuaries connecting to an offshore cable, such as Sealink.

In addition, this Council calls upon the Leader of the Council to write to Sir Bernard Jenkin MP for Harwich and North Essex and Nigel Farage MP for Clacton, including a copy of the letter sent to Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Milliband MP, requesting them each to consider and take all possible actions open to them, as our Members of Parliament, to support this Council’s position.”

Councillor Fairley formally moved the motion and Councillor Guglielmi formally seconded the motion.

In accordance with the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 12.6 Councillor Fairley then explained the purpose of the Motion and Council proceeded to debate it.

Councillors Guglielmi, Baker, M E Stephenson, Scott and Fairleyspoke during the debate on this matter.

Councillor Fairley’s motion on being put to the vote was declared unanimously CARRIED.