Controversial plans to erect dozens of towering electricity pylons in the east Kent countryside have now been accepted by Planning Inspectorate for examination.

It will make a recommendation to the government which will ultimately decide the fate of the scheme, called the Richborough Connection.

But the public now has another chance to comment on the application which has been submitted by the National Grid.

It wants to erect around 70 pylons up to 46 metres high between Richborough and the sub station in Broad Oak Road, Canterbury, as part of the Nemo scheme to tap into electricity from the Continent via undersea cables.

The route will take the pylons past the villages of Sarre, Upstreet, Hersden, Westbere and Broad Oak.

But the plans have been widely criticised by opponents, including MPs Julian Brazier and Sir Roger Gale who say it will ruin the countryside.

They have also been met with opposition from both Canterbury City Council and Kent County Council which have questioned why the cables cannot be buried underground to avoid the impact on the scenery. National Grid says that will cost an extra £132 million.

The Planning Inspectorate has now decided the application has met the standard to proceed to examination.

It will then make a recommendation to government in around 12 months’ time, which will then decide whether the new connection should be built.

National Grid Project Manager Steve Self said: “We are delighted that the Planning Inspectorate has accepted our application for examination. It’s the result of years of hard work and listening to people’s views.

"We believe our route strikes the right balance between the sensitivities of a new overhead line in the area and the cost on everyone’s bills.”

From Wednesday, February 17, anyone who wants to make representations during the examination process can register their interest with the Planning Inspectorate. The deadline for representations is Friday, April 1 2016.

It can be done by filling in the Registration and Relevant Representation form on the Planning Inspectorate’s dedicated Richborough Connection project page:
http://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/south-east/richborough-connection-project/

Further information on this can be found on the Planning Inspectorate’s dedicated Richborough Connection project page: http://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/south-east/richborough-connection-project.