BASILDON councillors are attempting to block plans for 50-metre tall pylons on the outskirts of the borough – including just metres away from some gardens.

Independent Nethermayne councillor Kerry Smith and five other councillors are opposing the plans, which will see 184km of pylons built between Norwich and Tilbury, and urging National Grid to explore other options.

On Thursday, the council will debate a motion to “object to pylons that will blight the landscape around the borough’s western boundaries”, “to request National Grid look at other means to transfer the power by underwater cable” and to guarantee the borough’s western landscape is “sacrosanct”.

In April, the Echo revealed how Jane Nichols, 57, found out her back garden along the A127 in Dunton will have a 50m power line with 18 wires attached backing on to it.

Network Rail has reiterated that the project is “critically important” to achieving the government’s target of connecting 50 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030.

Mr Smith has called the project a “blot on the landscape that should never be entertained”.

He said: “It won’t touch most of the borough but from Langdon Hills to Billericay, you will see the eyesore, it is something for an industrial region really.

“I fear this will delay the local plan as well, we have a housing crisis and we need a plan, worry this could put the brakes on the process and anyone reasonable will want to see that local plan completed.”

Rosie Pearson, founder of Essex Pylons Action Group, added that she thinks the motion is brilliant and wants to see more opposition.

“What is being raised is exactly what we are saying, why put this region through trauma, chaos and destruction when there are so many other ways of doing this,” she said.

“We are being lied to about the cost of other options, it really is wrong.”

A spokesman for National Grid said: “The government has set an ambition to connect up to 50 GW of offshore wind by 2030, enough clean energy to power every home in the country.

“We have assessed offshore and underground options for Norwich to Tilbury but at approximately four times more expensive for offshore and up to six times more expensive for underground cables, and not without environmental impact, this would be at significant extra cost to consumers.”