From Scotland and Lincolnshire we hear voices sharing similar concerns.
In this first snapshot into the complex world of energy infrastructure, National Grid plc is not yet the focus of attention. That investigation into a monopolistic, self-interested decision making process has yet to take place.
The wretched plight of local people in Suffolk, affected by electricity developers’ schemes is highlighted in the case of Annabel Newberry, a local Friston resident whose income depends on a flourishing tourism sector.
John Gummer is a force for good, an impassioned renewable energy promoter. He asks for Government to listen and think more strategically.
Ralph Fiennes, patron of SEAS calls for offshore solutions and suggests that the decision makers are unaware of the ecological value of this region’s vital wetlands. “They don’t live here”.
Fiona Gilmore suggests that we should learn from the Dutch and the Belgians. They think holistically and choose hub sites which minimise societal and environmental impacts.
We do the opposite. We choose flourishing tourism destinations like Aldeburgh to offload the cables and build concrete monoliths the scale of the Vatican City within three miles of North Warren RSPB and the tourist beaches and ask local communities to grin and bear the blight.
Rewiring Britain: The Race to Go Green
BBC Panorama 3rd February 2025