Energy giant National Grid has unveiled its final plans for a towering network of pylons running from Canterbury to Richborough near Sandwich.

The company says it has tweaked proposals for the chain of “lattice” pylons which will cut through the East Kent countryside.

It plans a revised version of its 'north corridor' route using two types of pylon – a “standard” 50 metre model and a “low height” 42 metre alternative.

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Its network, which forms part of a £170 million link tapping into electricity supplies from Belgium, will run through Upstreet, Chislet, Hersden, Broad Oak and Sturry as previously announced.

The revised plans will see the network erected further away from homes in Monkton and Minster.

And in a concession to householders living in Ash, National Grid says it will use its “smaller” pylons running through the Ash Levels.

But villagers are Broad Oak are continuing their campaign against the structures which they say will blight the community.

Video: Pylons to cut a swathe across Kent

Chairman of the Broad Oak Preservation Society Alan Holden said: "From the detailed proposals National Grid have now published, the company appears determined to plough ahead with its original proposals for the route of this new power line.

"Despite 18 months of dialogue between villagers and the project team, during which we have expressed our major concerns about the negative impact this scheme will have on our community, the company has not altered its proposals in any way.

The detailed route published today will encircle Broad Oak with a string of 14 steel towers, each almost as tall as the main tower of Canterbury Cathedral, which will be visible from almost everywhere throughout the village.

"The new power lines will dominate the landscape to the north and west of the village, where it runs over open farmland, and In some places the new line will come within less than 100 metres of residential properties in Shalloak Road.

"Our local community is united in its opposition to this scheme. We have listened carefully to the justifications which National Grid have put forward for their preferred route, but it appears that they are motivated primarily by questions of cost.

"Our organisation has put forward a number of suggestions for variations to the route which would reduce the impact of the scheme.

"These would involve the line going along the southern shore of the proposed Broad Oak Reservoir, and running south on the western side of the Viridor waste tip, instead of to the east of the tip, which is the National Grid preferred route. But National Grid appear to have rejected these suggestions out of hand.

"Our community feels under siege. In addition to the new power line, we are having to contend with proposals from South East Water to construct a water reservoir on the edge of the village, and the proposals in the City Council's Local Plan for 1,000 new houses to be built on farmland in the village."

Mr Holden said the preservation society would continue to fight the proposals and he urged residents to attend the consultation meeting at the village hall on March 4 and 5.

He added: "We will also use the opportunity of the Planning Inquiry which will be held later in the autumn to argue our case against the National Grid route. If necessary we will then approach the Government of the day who will ultimately have to approve the final route of the scheme."

National Grid project manager Steve Self said: “We considered a wide range of factors including the environment, impact on local people and businesses, technical elements and cost.

“We believe the sensitively designed route and carefully selected pylon types we propose achieve the right balance between the effect of a new overhead line on the local area and the cost on everyone’s energy bills.”

National Grid had previously unveiled two options for the structures, which will connect sub-stations in Broad Oak Road and Richborough.

The first – called the North Corridor and preferred by the company – would run through Upstreet, Chislet, Hersden, Broad Oak and Sturry.

The second – South Corridor – would have cut through land in Ash, Elmstone, Wickhambreaux, Wingham and Fordwich, but has now been rejected.

National Grid says the £170 million Nemo Link, as it will be known, will tap into much-needed electricity from the Continent via Zeebrugge in Belgium.

The plans can be seen at Monkton Village Hall on February 17 from 2pm to 9pm; the Chislet Centre on February 19 between 2pm and 9pm and February 20 from 2pm to 8pm; the Guildhall in Sandwich on February 28 from 10am to 4pm; and Broad Oak Village Hall on March 4 from 10am to 4pm and March 5 from 2pm to 8pm.

Members of the public can also speak to a member of the National Grid team at the following venues: Sainsbury’s in Canterbury today (Feb 10) from 10am to 6pm; Westwood Cross Shopping Centre from 10am to 6pm on February 13; Asda in Canterbury from 10am to 6pm on February 18 and the Co Operative supermarket in Sandwich from 10am to 6pm on March 3.