National Grid launches consultation on plans to run energy cables through Lincolnshire

People in Lincolnshire are being urged to have their say on two new proposals to lay underground energy cables through the area.

National Grid is looking to land power created in Scotland in our county at Theddlethorpe or Anderby Creek and then transmit that via 100km of underground cables to a substation in Walpole, near King’s Lynn, passing through our district. This is a separate proposal to the Grimsby to Walpole pylon plan, which is also proposed to pass through our area.

The latest proposals are being fought by campaign group No Pylons Lincolnshire – which is appealing for more volunteers to help get behind its fight against the plans.

But it has been argued that South Holland is said to be missing out on vital investment because a lack of energy in the grid is hampering future plans.

Protest group spokesman Andrew Malkin, of Moulton, says the group supports renewable energy but wants to keep the infrastructure out at sea for as long as possible and is also unhappy about the drip of information from National Grid.

He said: “We are most concerned that Lincolnshire is being seen as a cheap route through which power can be transmitted to other parts of the country which need it. Lincolnshire needs none of it and we are not prepared to stand by and see thousands of acres of Lincolnshire’s prime food-growing land laid waste in order for power to be sent to other areas of the country.”

South Holland District Council Nick Worth leader is concerned that the county - and particular his district - is being seen as a ‘dumping ground’ for these proposals and hit out at National Grid for not upgrading the local infrastructure years ago.

He said: “We do need the power. For inward investment in South Holland, our biggest issue at the moment is that we don’t have enough power. People are coming in and would like to build something but we are saying ‘that’s great but we don’t have enough power in the grid’. That is an issue we has been going on for a year or two and we have found ways around it.

“My concern with the National Grid proposals is that we seem to becoming the place that it lands and then just goes off to the rest of the country. They should have seen this coming a long time ago.

“They should have upgraded the infrastructure years ago but I don’t think National Grid looked ahead soon enough. Now there’s power coming from off-shore and now there’s a panic to get all in.

“The reality is we do need the power but how do we provide that with as little inconvenience as possible to people and to make sure that locally we are not just a dumping ground for this without getting the benefit.”

Consultation launched on cable proposal

Two proposals for underground energy cables running through South Holland will play a critical role in supporting the nation’s energy security says the utility company responsible for our infrastructure.

The National Grid has announced plans to link two Scottish substations to another at Walpole, near King’s Lynn, via subsea and onshore high voltage cables in order to transport renewable energy to four million homes in the Midlands and south of England.

This is a separate proposal to the plan to erect a string pylons to run from Grimsby to the Walpole Substation, which was announced earlier this year.

Consultation events on the two underground cable proposals will be held in Kirton Holme and Holbeach Hub next month.

James Goode, Project Director for National Grid, says the new proposals are part of the largest overhaul of the country’s grid in decades.

He said: “Eastern Green Link 3 and Eastern Green Link 4 are a critical part of the new electricity infrastructure required for the UK to reach net zero. Harnessing the full potential of Britain’s clean energy resources will enable us to be less dependent on global fossil fuels and will play a critical role in supporting the nation’s future security of supply.

“We look forward to hearing views from members of the public and we welcome feedback on our initial proposals.”

Under these proposals, energy generated from wind farms off the coast of Scotland are transmitted to substations in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, and Westfield, Fife.

Eastern Green Link 3 and 4 projects aim to lay two new primarily subsea high voltage direct current electricity links with associated infrastructure between Scotland and England.

The plans could see the cables landed at either Theddlethorpe or Anderby Creek with 100km of underground cable laid onshore to bring the power to two converter stations at Walpole, near King’s Lynn.

In this area, underground cables could run near Sutterton, Fosdyke, Moulton Seas End, Holbeach Marsh, Holbeach Hurn, Fleet, Sutterton Crosses and Foul Anchor to Walpole.

National Grid says that the existing transmission network does not have enough capacity to transport the energy needed.

A spokesman for the firm also said that 80% of the current demand for electricity is outside of London and that this power could be used in Lincolnshire.

Face-to-face consultations will be held at Poachers Country Hotel, Swineshead Road, Kirton Holme, from 2pm to 7pm on Thursday, May 16 and at The Holbeach Hub, Boston Road South, on Wednesday, May 29, from 2pm to 7pm.

A session will be held at Walpole Community Centre on Monday, May 20, from 2pm to 7pm, and Leverington Village Hall on Monday, May 13, from 2pm to 7pm.

Documents are also kept at Spalding, Holbeach and Long Sutton libraries.

National Grid will run consultations, which includes webinars, until June 17.

To register for a webinar or for any questions or information, members of the public can email contactegl3and4@nationalgrid.com or call the community relations team on 0800 298 0405.

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