Essex County Council is concerned the value of a 4,000 new home development in its area could be hit by National Grid plans to install 100 miles of pylons close by.

The local authority fears the proposal by the electricity network will harm housing and land values at the Dunton Hills Garden Village development in Brentwood.

It has submitted its objections to the Planning Inspectorate, which is set to make a decision on National Grid’s plans next year.

As well as fears around prices, another focus of the council’s submission is the pylons’ impact on affordable housing and infrastructure within the garden village.

It is also concerned National Grid’s final plans ‘still lack detail on how these impacts will be mitigated’.

Essex CC believes the current 2030 deadline of installing the pylons is ‘overly ambitious’ and will put ‘significant pressure’ on local people’s lives and the highways network.

‘It is only right that we continue to challenge National Grid’s approach,’ said Essex CC cabinet member for housing, planning and regeneration Cllr Lee Scott.

He added: ‘Many communities across Essex and the East of England will be affected. Their best interests must be at the heart of any decisions. ‘While we continue to scrutinise the plans, it’s clear many of our concerns remain unresolved.’

National Grid’s proposals aim to connect substations in Norwich and the Essex port of Tilbury.

It says the move is needed to transform a network ‘originally designed for coal-powered energy’ and to meet clean energy targets. If approved, construction is set to start from 2027.

National Grid adds that it has already explored but ruled out more expensive options than installing pylons, such as offshore and underground work.

‘We understand concerns about the visual impact of overhead electricity lines, and we have worked closely with Essex County Council and the Dunton Hills Garden Village developer,’ said a National Grid spokesperson.

‘We always aim to maintain as much distance as possible to properties, meaning overhead lines will not directly cross above any residential properties on this route.’