The local authority has labelled National Grid's pylon consultation as "fundamentally flawed".

Sedgemoor District Council called on National Grid to be more open with its information and consult on all options – not just two corridors that cut through the Cheddar Valley by Mark and Blackford.

A spokesperson said: "The council considers that because of the shortcomings in the information provided, the way it has been made available and the resources the council has had to respond, the stage 1 consultation is fundamentally flawed."

Sedgemoor is also not happy that no money was forthcoming "to allow full and detailed consideration of all the issues". Money to do so was urgently called for.

Duncan McGinty, leader of Sedgemoor, will write to the chairman of National Grid, the Secretary of State and the chairman of the Infrastructure Planning Commission and demand:

All information be made available on all routes – including sea and underground;

The factors that influenced the choice of route corridor options;

Substation design and location;

Pylon design, location and any potential health impacts;

The mitigation and community benefit to address the impact of new transmission;.

Removal of redundant infrastructure.

Liberal Democrat Tessa Munt said: "I think it is appalling that National Grid refused to grant funding to Sedgemoor to investigate the situation further.

"However, when the campaigners and groups challenge National Grid's consultations with the assistance of Sedgemoor, I am confident we will demonstrate that people have not had a fair say.

"National Grid has said that the £1.9 billion cost of the undersea option would mean an increase of less than one per cent on our electricity bills. Frankly, I think that is a small price to pay compared to the damage pylons and cables would cause to the local economy, to our health, to tourism, to house prices and to the environment."

Consultation ends tomorrow.