PLANS for new pylons across Essex are not expected to have any “material impact” on the delivery of a huge new housing village in Brentwood, the council has said – even though some of it does cross into it. Part of the planned route of the Tilbury to Norwich pylon development was initially going to cut through the middle of the Dunton Hill garden village near West Horndon reports the Local Democracy Reporter.
That route has now been amended so it sits on the western edge of the 3700-home development – with a short section transecting the development area.
National Grid is currently preparing its Development Consent Order (DCO) submission, which is expected to be lodged with the Planning Inspectorate in August 2025.
The council has said “it is not anticipated this project will have any material impact associated with the delivery of the development”.
A Brentwood planning officer said at a planning meeting on July 29: “The routes of the the pylons originally as proposed went straight through the site but that was amended following our representation and now it sits on the edge of the site so actually it doesn’t impact development.”
She added the council may return to looking at the type of development planned for that part of the site a later date.
She said: “We may look at the reserve matters if it is approved in terms of again building heights and things in the vicinity.
“But the the main thing that we will look at is if both projects are to go ahead how we manage the construction of both sets of projects on the same site and make sure that the impact to local residents is minimized in terms of National Grid accessing the new infrastructure site.
“But we have and continue to make representations to that project and will be represented through the DCO process as it goes as it goes forward with particular reference to this site as well as other areas of the borough.”
