'Pylon plans will destroy county's landscape and are nothing short of criminal'

COUNTY COUNCIL LEADER SAYS DEMAND FOR NEW ENERGY COMES FROM SOUTH EAST OF THE UK, AND NOT LINCOLNSHIRE

- BY OLIVER CASTLE Local Democracy Reporter

THE leader of Lincolnshire County Council has said the plans to build pylons across the county are 'nothing short of criminal' and should be scrapped.

Cllr Sean Matthews (Reform UK) called on National Grid to ditch its proposals and invest in oil and gas production instead - and stood by his scepticism about man's role in causing climate change.

National Grid wants to build 37 miles of pylons between Weston Marsh near Spalding and East Leicestershire. It also plans to build 87 miles of pylons between Grimsby and Walpole in Norfolk. Both routes would pass across large parts of the south and east of the county.

In an interview with the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Coun Matthews said the plans would destroy the landscape - and feels the demand for energy is coming from the south east of the country, not Lincolnshire.

He said: "The reality is that, in Lincolnshire, we produce and have enough electricity for ourselves.