It’s been two months since I was elected as county councillor for the Reepham division and in that time, I’ve attended numerous parish meetings, met a lot of new people (names will take me a while to remember – apologies in advance) and in turn gained a large amount of new casework. It’s what the role entails so I won’t complain.

A new administration at County Hall means a new direction, new ideas and some level of engagement. Yet this hasn’t occurred. There have been cuts to pots of money and political assistants without much in the way of consulting other members. It’s frustrating, but as opposition councillors you work within the environment as best you can.

The removal of the local member fund (£11,000 for highways) is one that eliminates a constructive element that county councillors can positively impact local communities. This has been historically used for contributions to traffic regulation orders, bus shelters, double yellow lines, village gates – it’s quite a long list. It will now be a longer, more convoluted route to get some of these actions in the future, if at all. In any event it will make these harder to achieve.

But it’s not all bad news – there is still a huge range of grants and funding options for groups across the community from both Broadland District Council and Norfolk County Council.

Lastly, my next councillor surgeries are:

• Saturday 18 July at the New Frost Hall, Claypit Road, Foulsham;
• Saturday 15 August at the Bircham Centre, Market Place, Reepham;
• Saturday 19th September at Cawston Village Hall, High Street, Cawston;
• Saturday 31 October at the Bircham Centre, Market Place, Reepham;

All run from 10 am – 12 noon and everyone is welcome, whether it’s casework, a complaint or you wish to simply have a chat; I am very approachable.

I have a Facebook page that anyone is welcome to follow wher you can see what I am up to.

Please stay safe in this hot weather.

Cllr Dave Thomas
Tel: 07903 820140
Email: dave.broadlandlibdems@gmail.com

Photo: Norfolk County Council

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It also includes 21 other parishes, from Heydon in the north to Honingham in the south, Foulsham in the west to Stratton Strawless in the east − just over 4,000 houses and around 8,200 residents, so it’s pretty big.

I was elected on 7 May and the work started almost straight away. However, we didn’t get our IT until 12 May – and you’ll be surprised how many emails are waiting when you first log you into your account.

The first week was literally packed with back-to-back presentations and briefings, covering finance (a £2 billion local authority with £900 million of debt), adult social care, children’s services, code of conduct, communities and the environment, corporate parenting, fire and rescue, governance, local government reorganisation update, social media and communications.

It was a lot.

The Reepham Division includes the Wensum Valley and therefore the A47, where the Easton to East Tuddenham dualling is occurring and where Norfolk County Council is looking at alternative routes to connect with the A1067.

As part of this I have had two extensive briefings with Highways to see where things are. The A47 dualling is ahead of schedule so some traffic mitigations for the surrounding parishes are being implemented sooner rather than later.

For Reepham, I have a long list of items, plus other bits of casework that will require resident engagement.

On 28 May it was the county council annual general meeting where a new leader and chair were elected, as well as the heads of the committees and cabinet members.

I am already a district councillor (for Cawston, Foulsham and the five parishes in between) and I run councillor surgeries for residents to see me. I have two booked for Reepham at the Bircham Centre: Saturday 15 August and Saturday 31 October, anyone is welcome. I am there from 10 am to 12 noon and if I can help with anything or you wish to just bend my ear, then please come along.

Cllr Dave Thomas
Tel: 07903 820140
Email: dave.broadlandlibdems@gmail.com

Photo: submitted

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This will be my last “View from County Hall”, as I have decided not to seek re-election as your county councillor at the election on 7 May.

It has been an honour and privilege to serve as your county councillor for the past nine years. I was also a Broadland District Councillor (part of the time as a “twin hatter”) prior to that, so 11 years in total. Long enough, I think.

After a long career in industry, where I spent a lot of time working abroad (Germany, France and Japan), I chaired a couple of charities on retiring. I fell into local politics by accident but hoped that this would allow me a good opportunity to change things for the better. For six of the past nine years, I was honoured to serve in the Cabinet at County Hall.

I would like to say how much I have enjoyed working with your town council. People who put themselves forward for what can sometimes be a thankless task for the good of their community deserve a lot of credit; they work hard for us all. And to those constituents I have met, and possibly helped in some small way, I wish you all the best for the future.

One of the reasons I decided to step down, but not the only reason, is my deep disappointment and astonishment at the government’s decision to create three unitary councils for Norfolk under Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).

Norfolk County Council made a robust bid for a single unitary council for Norfolk under the proposals for LGR. This was based on sound financial information with the primary purpose of protecting frontline services, while ensuring value for money.

Norfolk County Council already delivers 85% of local services in Norfolk, so a single unitary authority was the easiest to implement, would ultimately save money for taxpayers and was the most obvious choice for the county. It was also backed by key stakeholders such as the NHS and the police.

None of the other proposals, which would split services and cost more to implement and run, stacked up. It is therefore disappointing that, despite the three-unitary councils proposal not meeting the government’s own criteria, that this is the option chosen.

This may be more a political decision than a practical one and seems irrational. Norfolk County Council also expressed serious concern following the government’s announcement that the planned 2026 mayoral election for the Norfolk and Suffolk Combined County Authority will be deferred until 2028. This sudden decision means that Norfolk will now receive only around one-third of the investment previously promised under the devolution programme.

It also means that my successor is likely to be in place for just one year, before another election in May 2027 to the new unitary authority. They will spend a year as a shadow authority setting up the new unitary authority. I did not want to spend a year implementing a plan I fundamentally disagree with and I believe will be to the detriment to Norfolk residents.

I hope I see some of the friends I have made in Reepham when I am in the town, using the excellent facilities on offer, such as the Kings Arms and Motts Pharmacy (where my wife and I get our jabs), the post office and all the other traders in the town.

Finally, I want to thank Geoff Fisher, editor of Reepham Life, which is the best community website in the county, for allowing me to write this occasional column. Also, for his understanding when I have been tardy in providing my contribution.

Cllr Greg Peck, Norfolk County Council, Reepham Division
Tel: 07972 230282
Email: greg.peck.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk

Image: Reepham Community Press

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On 22 January, the government announced that it had decided that May’s county council elections will not go ahead, so that the council can focus on local government reorganisation and devolution. This accompanies the decision to cancel the mayoral elections also scheduled for May.

Norfolk County Council agreed to delay the 2025 elections in order to secure the government’s devolution deal, based on the promise that a mayor would be elected in 2026.

That timetable was changed without warning in November, delaying the mayoral election until May 2028, despite the significant work already done locally to prepare.

With hindsight, it is clear that the 2025 county council elections could have gone ahead without affecting devolution. Instead, the government has chosen to prioritise reorganisation over local democracy, leaving councils to absorb reputational damage and residents without proper electoral accountability through no fault of their own.

Bus service improvements

Norfolk County Council’s ambitious Bus Service Improvement Plan has transformed public transport across the county, driving a 26% increase in passenger numbers since 2022 and making Norfolk a leading national example for sustainable travel.

A paper discussed at the council’s Infrastructure and Development Committee on 22 January highlights what has been delivered thanks to the £65.45 million secured for Norfolk from the Department for Transport. That includes:

• new and enhanced bus services on more than 44 routes across Norfolk, including more evening and Sunday services
• affordable fares: capped single fares in key towns and multi-operator ticketing
• greener fleet: 75 zero-emission buses in Norwich and 24 more electric buses coming in 2026
• improved passenger experience: real-time information, safer waiting areas, next-stop announcements and real-time information on more buses.

Not only are we seeing record setting and increasing numbers of passengers, but customer satisfaction has also risen to 87%, bucking national trends and reinforcing Norfolk’s approach to improvements in bus travel across the county.

Cllr Greg Peck, Norfolk County Council, Reepham Division
Tel: 07972 230282
Email: greg.peck.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk

Image: Reepham Community Press

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If you’ve ever set a New Year’s resolution only to see it slip by February, you’re not alone – but 2026 could be different.

Norfolk County Council is encouraging residents across Norfolk and Waveney to kickstart the New Year by signing up to the 30-day health challenge, a simple and supportive way to make positive changes to health using the free online Ready to Change tool.

The challenge is designed to help people make realistic, achievable lifestyle changes over 30 days; a timeframe that experts say is far more manageable than aiming for drastic, long-term change all at once.

Ready to Change also signposts to lots of local organisations that can help you achieve your goals, including free weight management, smoking cessation and fitness groups.

Visit www.readytochange.co.uk to find out more about the 30-day health challenge, take health quizzes and sign up for expert health guidance and support to get you the success you deserve in 2026.

How do you get involved in the 30-day health challenge?

Step 1: Visit the Ready to Change website and choose one of the following health challenges:

• aim for a healthier weight
• drink less alcohol
• quit smoking
• eat more healthily
• be more active

Step 2: Sign up to receive free weekly expert health guidance, tips and support by email over the next 30 days.

Support for people facing barriers to employment

People in Norfolk with disabilities and long-term health issues that are keeping them out of employment are to receive support from the newly launched Connect to Work programme.

The scheme aims to build on the achievements of the previous Working Well Norfolk and Local Supported Employment projects and reduce the county’s higher-than-average economically inactive population.

In Norfolk, 109,100 (20.6%) of individuals aged 16–65 were classed as economically inactive in 2024 – 1.5% higher than post-Covid – and 30,100 (27.7%) were classed as having long-term sickness compared with 23.7% in 2019 – higher than the East of England figure of 25.9% and the UK average of 27.2%.

Connect to Work is aimed at people aged 18 and over from Norfolk (and 16–17 in some cases) from a wide range of cohorts, including people with mental and physical health challenges, learning disabilities, neurodiversity, care leavers, carers, military veterans, ex-offenders, the homeless, refugees and victims of domestic abuse.

People who are in work but at risk of having to give up owing to their health condition or other complex challenges will also be assisted.

To find out how to access support via Connect to Work, please visit www.norfolk.gov.uk/workingwell or email connecttowork@norfolk.gov.uk.

Cllr Greg Peck, Norfolk County Council, Reepham Division
Tel: 07972 230282
Email: greg.peck.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk

Image: Norfolk County Council

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Norfolk County Council’s winter gritting is underway, with gritters active on A and B roads, key bus routes and village access roads, using new tech for efficiency.

The first runs of the recent winter season (late 2025/early 2026) started as temperatures dropped, utilising the 58-strong fleet with automated salting to cover 2,200 miles of routes, supported by stocked salt barns and public grit bins.

Updates are posted on social media using #NorfolkWinter, with a dedicated website for information; recent campaigns even involved naming the gritters. Residents can also check this year’s gritting routes using the online map on the council’s website HERE.

To report any gritting issues please contact the “Report a Highways Problem” section on the council’s website HERE.

Highways and transport satisfaction survey

Norfolk County Council has once again demonstrated strong performance in the National Highways and Transport Public Satisfaction Survey, taking the top spot in the Eastern region for overall satisfaction and second out of 29 county councils across England.

The annual survey, which gathers public views on highways and transport services, saw Norfolk achieve an overall satisfaction score of 48%, well above the national average of 40%. This marks the 15th consecutive year Norfolk has participated in the survey and the seventh year in a row that it has come either first or second overall.

Key highlights from this year’s results include:

• top regional performer: Norfolk ranked first in the Eastern Region for overall satisfaction;
• condition of highways (8% above group average).

Cllr Greg Peck, Norfolk County Council, Reepham Division
Tel: 07972 230282
Email: greg.peck.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk

Photo: Norfolk County Council

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By Cllr Greg Peck

Norfolk County Council has expressed serious concern following the government’s announcement that the planned 2026 mayoral election for the Norfolk and Suffolk Combined County Authority will be deferred until 2028.

The sudden decision means that Norfolk will now receive only around one-third of the investment previously promised under the devolution programme.

The council warns that this represents a significant setback for Norfolk’s communities, economy and long-term growth plans, undermining years of preparatory work and delaying projects vital to residents.

The funding cut is a major blow for Norfolk. The reduction in government support is down to a fraction of the original multi-year commitment, threatening progress in key areas including transport and infrastructure improvements, skills and employment programmes, housing development, local growth and regeneration projects. The previous investment package had been carefully negotiated to deliver benefits across both rural and urban communities.

The council also raised concerns about the lack of consultation prior to the announcement and the disruption caused to ongoing work with partners, businesses and local authorities across the region.

Despite the disappointment, the county council is taking immediate steps to secure the best possible outcome for Norfolk. Actions already underway include:

• seeking urgent clarification from ministers on why the promised investment has been significantly reduced
• pressing for guarantees that long-term funding will be reinstated and protected
• reviewing all implications for Norfolk’s infrastructure, transport and economic strategies
• engaging with district, parish and community partners to assess local impacts
• preparing a formal response outlining how the decision risks holding Norfolk back compared with other regions.

Meetings are being held during December with government ministers to see if there is any room for negotiation on these issues.

Have your say on the future of local government                                                            

Residents across Norfolk can take part in a landmark consultation that will help shape the future of local government in the county. The government is seeking views on proposals for one, two or three new unitary councils in Norfolk. Under these proposals, existing county and district councils would be replaced by new unitary authorities, meaning residents would have a single council responsible for all services in their area.

Norfolk County Council’s submission proposes one unitary council for Norfolk: a single organisation responsible for all local government services, designed to improve outcomes for residents, reduce duplication and deliver long-term financial sustainability.

The consultation runs until Sunday 11 January 2026. All proposals and an online response form are available on the consultation website HERE.

Support is also available at any of Norfolk’s 47 libraries, where residents can access free computers, Wi-Fi and staff assistance to complete the consultation online.

Personally, I support the one unitary for Norfolk option because it:

• creates large recurring savings (around £36–40 million per year) by removing duplicated roles, buildings, systems and management across eight councils
• delivers a faster payback on reorganisation costs – savings expected to outweigh set-up costs within about one year
• frees up money to be redirected from administration into frontline services, helping protect priority areas like social care, highways and children’s services
• allows residents to deal with one council instead of navigating county vs. district responsibilities
• makes it easier for people to access services, report issues and get consistent responses
• removes the “postcode lottery” by ensuring one standard of service and more consistent council tax across Norfolk;
• integrates related services (e.g., housing and social care; waste and environmental health), which is currently split between separate councils
• avoids fragmentation of critical services such as adult social care, children’s services and transport
• improves co-ordination with partners like the NHS and police, which already operate county-wide
• provides a clearer voice when negotiating for investment and devolved powers
• gives Norfolk greater capacity to plan long term, respond to pressures and remain financially resilient.

Cllr Greg Peck, Norfolk County Council, Reepham Division
Tel: 07972 230282
Email: greg.peck.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk

Image: Reepham Community Press

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By Cllr Greg Peck

New powers and funding to boost jobs, transport, housing and growth are coming to Norfolk and Suffolk, with Norfolk County Council’s cabinet voting in favour of proceeding with devolution.

Under the government’s devolution priority programme, Norfolk and Suffolk have been offered:

• the transfer of powers and funding from Whitehall to enable decisions on jobs, skills, transport and housing to be taken in Norfolk and Suffolk
• a multi-million pound investment fund for 30 years to spend on local priorities.

The decision means that the new devolved powers and funding would be overseen by a mayor, elected by voters in May 2026, to lead a new combined authority that also comprises councillors from Norfolk and Suffolk.

The mayor and the combined authority will take responsibility for a range of functions and funding, including:

• local transport
• skills and jobs
• housing development
• economic growth and regeneration
• environment and climate change
• from 2027, taking on police and crime commissioner and fire and rescue authority functions.

Positives of devolution for Norfolk and Suffolk

1. Greater local control and tailored solutions: Devolution will empower local leaders to make strategic decisions closer to the communities they serve, rather than relying on central government. This enables more responsive, integrated and locally relevant public services.
2. Significant long-term investment: The establishment of a Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA) will unlock an investment fund of £37.4 million a year for 30 years – more than £1.1 billion in total. This provides long-term financial certainty and autonomy for planning and delivering place-based projects, reducing reliance on short-term, competitive funding pots.
3. Economic growth and resilience: Devolution enables the development of tailored economic strategies, boosting productivity, attracting inward investment and supporting local businesses. It also allows for the creation of innovation hubs, infrastructure projects and skills programmes that are specific to local needs.
4. Improved transport and infrastructure: The new authority will have powers over local transport planning, bus franchising and the ability to co-ordinate a key route network. This should lead to more consistent and strategic transport policies, better integration and targeted investment where it delivers the greatest impact.
5. Skills and employment: Control over adult skills funding will be devolved, allowing the region to tailor skills provision to local economic needs, target key sectors and increase access to lifelong learning. This flexibility should help address skills shortages and support economic growth.
6. Housing and regeneration: Devolution brings new powers to accelerate housing delivery and regeneration, including direct partnerships with Homes England and the ability to allocate housing and regeneration grants locally. This should help address local housing needs more effectively.
7. Environment and climate change: The authority will have a role in regional energy planning, heat network zoning and local nature recovery strategies. This enables more co-ordinated action on decarbonisation, energy security and environmental protection.
8. Health, well-being and public service reform: There will be a statutory duty to improve health and reduce inequalities, with the mayor and MCCA required to factor health outcomes into every decision. This should lead to more joined-up approaches to public health and social care.
9. Public safety: The mayor will take on police and crime commissioner and fire and rescue authority functions, aligning public safety governance with other devolved powers for more integrated service delivery.
10. Enhanced local voice and influence: Devolution gives the region a seat on the Council of Nations and Regions, amplifying the local voice in national policy-making and ensuring regional priorities are heard and acted upon.
11. General power of competence: The strategic authority and mayor will have a general power of competence, allowing them to innovate and act in the public interest, provided actions are not prohibited by law.

You can find out more about devolution at www.norfolk.gov.uk/devolution.

Norfolk’s budget consultation – have your say

As the county council’s annual budget consultation has launched, people are being urged to take a look at the proposals and have their say.

Norfolk County Council is working to set a balanced budget, despite the need to save £41.6 million in 2026–27. This year there are 50 budget-saving proposals, and proposals to increase council tax, which provides a large part of the funding the county council needs. These proposed savings add up to £35.7 million, which would make a big contribution to the overall amount that needs to be saved.

To help deal with cost pressures and invest in vital services, the current budget planning for 2026–27 is based on an assumption to increase council tax. Three options are being considered:

• an increase of 3%
• an increase of up to 5%
• an increase of more than 5%.

Residents can find out more and have their say at www.norfolk.gov.uk/budget. The consultation closes on Monday 15 December 2025.

Give your views on fire and rescue priorities

A public consultation on Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service’s safety and risk plans for the next five years has gone live. Residents, businesses and organisations now have an opportunity to provide feedback on areas the service has identified as priorities for 2026–2031, to mitigate risk and keep our county as safe as possible.

Eight proposals have been put out for the public to comment on, around the areas of:

• road safety
• prevention activity
• building safety
• preparing for and responding to emergencies
• responding to climate change (specifically, extreme weather risks such as flooding and wildfire)
• supporting our people
• fire station improvements
• responding to medical emergencies.

Details of the eight proposals can be found on the Norfolk County Council website, where you can complete an online survey via www.norfolk.gov.uk/crmp.

‘It’s never too late’ – supporting healthy ageing

Looking after your health as you get older is not just a recommendation, it’s a vital investment in your future quality of life. Evidence shows that staying physically active, keeping up with recommended vaccinations and screenings, and maintaining social connections are among the strongest predictors of how well you age. These actions play a direct role in preventing illnesses, reducing the risk of falls and long-term conditions and supporting mental well-being.

Norfolk is home to one of the highest ageing populations in the UK. Now, the county council’s public health department has launched a new campaign to encourage residents aged 50 and over to prioritise their health so they can live healthier, more connected lives as they age.

The campaign is centred on a new healthy ageing programme, called “It’s never too late”, which highlights resources, guidance and opportunities to help residents make positive changes to their health and well-being.

This includes:

• protecting your health: information on vaccination eligibility and booking, NHS screening appointments and NHS health checks
• being active: information on moving more, strength and balance, falls prevention and finding local groups
• feeling connected: finding clubs, groups and one-to-one support, building new connections and practical guidance on transport and digital skills.

To explore the new webpage and find out more, visit: www.norfolk.gov.uk/healthyageing.

Norfolk bucking national trend for recruiting adoptive parents

Norfolk is bucking the national trend for recruiting adopters, with the number of adopters increasing in the county.

Across the country, there are 12% fewer families considering adoption this year compared with the last, whereas in 2024/25, Norfolk County Council’s Adoption Service recruited 43 adoptive households – a 53% increase on the number of adopters who were approved in 2023/24.

Of these 43 households, 37 were couples and six were single adopters. The council has also seen an increase in adopters from global majority backgrounds and from the LGBTQ+ community.

The news comes as the county marks National Adoption Week, with this year’s focus being on busting the misconceptions about who can adopt.

People considering whether adoption is right for them are invited to contact Norfolk Adoption Services on 01603 638343 for a friendly chat and invitation to an information event where they can find out more.

Cllr Greg Peck, Norfolk County Council, Reepham Division
Tel: 07972 230282
Email: greg.peck.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk

Photo: Norfolk County Council

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I feel privileged to live in this part of Norfolk. We are lucky to have a nesting pair of barn owls on our property. Every year for the past 20 years I have enjoyed watching them quartering our fields and water meadow, hunting for voles.

In June the water meadow has four different varieties of orchid blooming there, and when I walk my fields I often see buzzards and kites hunting the fields and meadow.

Beyond the small stream and wood that borders my property is an arable field belonging to a neighbouring farmer. This field is home to skylarks; it is known unofficially by my neighbours in the village as “Skylark Field”.

This is the Norfolk countryside that I was fighting to defend when I was chair of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) Norfolk, and subsequently for the East of England, for 12 years before getting involved in local politics.

I was disappointed but not surprised to see Rachel Richmond, representing St Mary’s, Reepham (Your Letters, 31 October), taking issue with my recent article in Reepham Life (Countryside at risk from proposed solar farms).

She trotted out the usual supposed benefits of solar parks that you find in the glossy brochures of the solar park companies.

As a councillor I have been involved in a number of applications for solar parks over the past 10 years. They all claimed they would have sheep grazing and bees.

I have yet to see one in Broadland that has either. In fact, the only one I am aware of, outside of Norfolk, quickly took the sheep off because they were rubbing up against the panels and damaging them.

How do barn owls quarter over a field of solar panels? I am not sure how fields of plastic and glass will enhance the numbers of skylarks. They seem to be doing very well around me without the help of solar panels.

Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil and other pressure groups are worried about the plight of bats on a potential three-mile section of road and a bridge for the proposed Western Link.

However, they seem comfortable with covering thousands of acres of countryside with solar parks, pylons and wind turbines. No mention of bats there!

The sites we are seeing brought forward now are 3,000–4,000 acres in size. Future generations will need to be fed; where is that food going to be produced?

Over a 10-year period the panels degrade and need to be replaced if they are to remain efficient. The degradation also means they are shedding microplastics into the soil and thus ultimately into the water courses.

How does Rachel Richmond think solar panels are made? Plastic is a derivative of oil. Does she support stopping oil production? If so, let me know how future solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles will be produced.

The large schemes coming forward now include applications for battery storage facilities. These are lithium-ion batteries that, if they catch fire, are impossible to put out.

The fire service has objected to them as they cannot be extinguished and will just have to let them burn, with all the resulting pollution that will be generated.

Lithium and other rare earth products are mined by child labour in third world countries; they are highly polluting and almost impossible to dispose of.

In the US they bury disused wind turbine components in “mass graveyards” in the Nevada Desert.

As I mentioned in my original article, the current planning regulations (the National Planning Policy Framework) state that solar parks should be built on “poor quality” farmland. The land at Pettywell is rated “best and most versatile” agricultural land.

In response to contact from a concerned local resident, Jerome Mayhew, MP for Broadland and Fakenham asked the Secretary of State for clarification of the government’s policy and on 14 October got the following response:

“The government places great importance upon our agriculture and food production, and this is reflected in the National Planning Policy Framework. The framework is clear that local planning authorities should recognise the economic and other benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land.

“Where significant development of agricultural land is shown to be necessary, including ground mounted solar, the planning authority should seek to use poorer quality land in preference to that of a higher quality.”

However, I fear that Ed Miliband and his government will change the rules in the near future. Until then I will do everything I can to stop these solar farms being built on good quality farmland.

Cllr Greg Peck, Norfolk County Council, Reepham Division
Tel: 07972 230282
Email: greg.peck.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk

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County councillors in Norfolk have objected to a proposal to construct an electricity transmission line across the county.

National Grid has launched a statutory consultation on plans for a 114-mile overhead power line between Norwich in Norfolk, Bramford in Suffolk and Tilbury in Essex.

In non-statutory consultations, Norfolk County Council has urged National Grid to reconsider the scheme, but the project will be determined by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project.

Norfolk County Council’s planning and highways delegations committee have agreed to object to the proposal, arguing that alternative options, including an offshore or underground scheme, has not been adequately considered.

At a recent full council meeting, councillors backed a motion expressing concerns over the proposals. That motion called for the leader of the council to write to National Grid with several requests, including further consideration of an offshore alternative and of putting more of the power line underground.

There are plans for more pylons to come, including some from Lincolnshire through Norfolk to feed the demand for electricity in the southeast.

We know that more offshore wind turbines are planned in the North Sea in the future, and the previous government had said that they would support an offshore solution to prevent any more underground cable routes coming through Norfolk.

While the disruption we are suffering with the three currently approved cable routes is bad, I think we all can agree that giant pylons across the Norfolk countryside would be even more unacceptable.

The new government have made it clear they will support the use of pylons.

Cllr Greg Peck, Norfolk County Council, Reepham Division
Tel: 07972 230282
Email: greg.peck.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk

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