Pelham to Rayleigh line reinforcement project in Essex
An update from CLA Policy Adviser Mark Burton on the this proposed project
On the 21st May, National Grid Energy Transmission (NGET) presented a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for confirmation by the government. This was for the Pelham to Rayleigh line reinforcement project in Essex. In effect, this means the cables will be replaced with new ones in order to increase the capacity of the line. To carry out this work, NGET are seeking new permanent access rights over a large area of land. This directly affects at least 39 CLA members.
The CLA does not object to the project itself. We also appreciate the need for the use of compulsory purchase powers for infrastructure projects, and that includes having them in place as a backstop even where access is currently under negotiation.
However, we believe that the rights sought by NGET in the CPO are more intrusive than the project requires. This is partly because some of the rights NGET is seeking do not appear necessary for the project.
This seemingly includes, for example, a permanent right to construct any building for which they can attain planning permission anywhere beneath the pylon line. We also believe that NGET have not demonstrated proper regard to the rights they already have over the land. We believe that this could open the government up to a legal challenge if they accepted the CPO in its current form. We raised this as an objection to the project during the statutory objection window, which closed on the 19th June.
Because some of those directly affected by the order also objected, the CPO will now be subject to a public inquiry. A decision will be reached by the government after this inquiry. This could mean outright confirmation of the CPO, confirmation with modifications or in stages, or a total rejection. Objectors to the project were formally notified of this on the 1st July. NGET must now prepare a Statement of Case and submit to all objectors, including the CLA, by the 12th August. We still await a date for the start of the inquiry.