People living near new pylons across Great Britain will get money off their energy bills, as part of the government’s Plan for Change for clean power by 2030.
Under powers in the government’s upcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill, households within 500 metres of new or upgraded electricity transmission infrastructure will get electricity bill discounts of up to £2,500 over 10 years.
Alongside money off bills, separate new guidance will set out how developers should ensure communities hosting transmission infrastructure can benefit, by funding projects like sports clubs, educational programmes, or leisure facilities.
Where communities host this vital infrastructure, the government’s position on principle is that it is right these communities directly benefit from supporting this nationally critical mission. In turn, this will benefit every household in the country by getting the UK off dependency on fossil fuel markets and protecting billpayers with clean homegrown power. Ensuring community benefits is vital in speeding up the building of clean power infrastructure.
Around twice as much new transmission network infrastructure will be needed by 2030 as has been built in the past decade, with new legislation removing barriers and getting Britain building. Community benefits can be an important part of new infrastructure plans, potentially reducing opposition and planning delays. At the moment, too many projects have been bogged down in the pre-planning stage for many years trying to win local support. Vital projects in the pipeline which have faced opposition include transmission lines between Norwich to Tilbury, Grimsby to Walpole and the Sealink connection between Suffolk and Kent.
Building new transmission infrastructure is critical to unleashing growth with £40 billion a year of mainly private investment, creating jobs across the country, protecting households from the rollercoaster of fossil fuel markets and helping make Britain energy secure.
Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said, “We owe it to the people of this country to get Britain building again. It is no longer a question of whether we build the new infrastructure we need but a question of how and this must be done in lockstep with local communities.
“This government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill will slash energy bills for local people living near new projects, so they benefit as we drive forward in our mission to achieve a more prosperous and energy secure future for the next generation.
“This is delivering on our Plan for Change to accelerate growth in every region across the country, raising living standards and putting more money back into the pockets of working people and families.”
John Pettigrew, CEO, National Grid, said, “It is right that communities see enduring, tangible benefits for hosting transmission infrastructure on behalf of the country. We are pleased to see this guidance issued today and look forward to continuing to work in partnership with communities to deliver long-lasting, meaningful benefits alongside critical infrastructure”.
The new community funds guidance means communities could get £200,000 worth of funding per km of overhead electricity cable in their area, and £530,000 per substation. This would mean an upcoming project like SSEN Transmission’s power line between Tealing and Aberdeenshire could see local communities benefitting from funding worth over £23 million. Developers will closely consult with eligible communities on the funds and how best to spend them, to ensure a fair and consistent approach across Great Britain.
