Pylon bill discounts welcomed but farm impacts raise concern

Plans to give households near new electricity pylons up to £2,500 in bill discounts have been welcomed, but ministers are being warned that Britain’s grid expansion must not come at the expense of farmland and agricultural productivity.

Rural property specialist Ian Thornton-Kemsley said the payments recognised some of the impact new electricity infrastructure could have on communities, but warned that pylons and transmission lines could affect rural areas for decades.

The UK Government has identified 43 transmission projects expected to fall within its electricity bill discount scheme, covering communities across England, Scotland and Wales.

Eligible households living within 500 metres of qualifying new or significantly upgraded transmission infrastructure will be able to receive up to £250 a year off their electricity bills for 10 years.

The payments are aimed at households living close to new infrastructure and are separate from compensation or agreements relating to electricity equipment crossing agricultural land.

Thornton-Kemsley, a utility infrastructure specialist at independent property adviser Galbraith, said the scheme acknowledged concerns about the effect of major developments on nearby homes.

“The announcement recognises that the large quantity of new infrastructure, particularly pylon lines, will have a considerable impact on residential values.”

“The offer of £2,500 for the next 10 years off electricity bills for affected parties will go a small way towards alleviating the impact on local communities.”

However, he warned that the wider consequences of expanding the electricity network must be carefully considered, particularly in rural areas expected to accommodate new infrastructure.

Thornton-Kemsley said communities should not be left carrying a disproportionate share of the consequences of delivering the government’s net zero ambitions.

“What is really required is a coherent energy strategy, rather than rushed policies where regional electricity companies are under pressure to deliver infrastructure that is likely to impact rural communities for decades to come.”

The warning is particularly relevant for farming areas, where the expansion of transmission infrastructure could bring new development onto or alongside productive agricultural land.

“It is vitally important that landscapes and agricultural productivity are properly considered by those promoting these policies.”

Scotland is expected to play a significant role in the grid expansion as new infrastructure is developed to move electricity generated from renewable energy projects around Britain.

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said communities hosting the infrastructure should see a direct benefit.

“Scotland is playing a central role in the UK’s energy transition, and as we build the modern grid needed to harness that power, it is only right that local families living alongside new pylons see real, direct savings on their electricity bills.”

The government says the wider programme is needed to modernise an electricity network much of which was built decades ago and to connect new sources of power to homes and businesses.

Further projects are expected to become eligible for the bill discount scheme as grid expansion progresses.

For rural communities, however, Thornton-Kemsley said the long-term implications must form part of decisions over where new infrastructure is built, with productive farmland and agricultural capacity properly considered alongside the need to modernise the electricity network.