Andrew Snowden, Member of Parliament for Fylde, has written to Ofgem Chief Executive Jonathan Brearley demanding urgent intervention over National Grid’s proposed onshore transmission routes for the Morgan and Morecambe offshore wind farms.
Fylde’s MP says the current plan to force the projects through the Penwortham substation is “the wrong solution,” warning it will cause “unnecessary costs, avoidable environmental damage, and a heavy burden on local communities.”
The plans would see multiple 30km cable corridors trenching across prime agricultural land, green belt, peat deposits, sand dunes, and protected habitats, leading to years of disruption and the permanent loss of some of the best farmland in the country.
Local councils, including Fylde Borough Council and parish councils, have raised similar concerns about the damaging impact on landscapes, livelihoods, and food production.
Andrew has also highlighted the financial impact, with the Penwortham route expected to add at least £1.5 billion in additional costs, a bill that will ultimately fall on energy consumers.
Instead, he has urged Ofgem to consider the alternative: the Stanah substation and Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone.
“This is a nationally designated brownfield site with the space, location, and infrastructure to deliver a coordinated connection point,” Mr Snowden said.
“It already hosts offshore energy infrastructure, has capacity to grow, and could act as a catalyst for new investment in the area. Crucially, it avoids carving cable corridors through farmland and communities, and it delivers better value for money.”
Quoting Section 9 of the Electricity Act 1989, which requires an “efficient, co-ordinated and economical system of electricity transmission,” Mr Snowden said the current Penwortham option fails this test.
He added:
“Our communities here in Fylde feel these decisions are being made in isolation, without transparency or proper consideration of the long-term economic, social and environmental consequences. Ofgem must now step in, hold National Grid to account, and ensure solutions deliver clean energy without saddling residents with unnecessary costs and disruption.”
