North East Lincolnshire Council has confirmed its support for a campaign against National Grid proposals to build an 87-mile long, high-voltage overhead electricity line between Grimsby West and Walpole in Norfolk.
The authority has decided to support objections to the scheme, in line with Lincolnshire County Council. The County Council, district councils and the ‘No To Pylons’ campaign group are leading opposition to the scheme.
Whilst North East Lincolnshire Council has welcomed the upgrading of the electricity transmission infrastructure, there is concern about the line’s visual and environmental impact. It will involve 50-metre high pylons traversing the Lincolnshire countryside over 140kms.
In agreeing to support objections, the Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, Cllr Philip Jackson, has confirmed the following actions:
- Requesting National Grid Electricity Transmission to place any new transmission line within the North East Lincolnshire boundary underground and/or re-route it so that it is subsea.
- Writing to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to robustly express the views within this Motion on Notice and request the support of our two MPs in this matter; urging them to lobby as appropriate at Government level and to liaise closely with the parliamentary ‘Off Shore Electricity Grid Task Force’.
- Making a formal objection to the scheme in a similar manner to Lincolnshire County Council.
- Encouraging residents and community groups, such as parish councils, to make their views known to National Grid Electricity Transmission.
- Publicly supporting the call made by Victoria Atkins MP and others for an independent review of offshore options for the Lincolnshire East Coast.
- Working closely with Lincolnshire County Council to ascertain the feasibility of being included in the independent review of the impact of the scheme that they are in the process of commissioning, and fully support them in their intention to “take legal action to challenge the reasoning that this infrastructure is the best solution if necessary”.
- Urging the Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside to study carefully the objection formally submitted by his counterpart for Lincolnshire due to the serious risk to the operation of emergency services and provide a public statement in due course.
In North East Lincolnshire, the line’s proposed route will go from National Grid’s existing Grimsby West substation, where a new 400 kV substation will be built, to the west of Laceby– external site , between Barnoldby-le-Beck– external site and Waltham– external site , and could be sited either side of Brigsley.
National Grid says The Great Grid Upgrade to meet ever-growing electricity demand will be the most expensive grid overhaul in generations, costing £1bn, compared to £4.4bn for an offshore alternative and £6.5bn for an onshore underground cable. It says maintenance costs will be reduced.
Initial consultations by National Grid have now concluded and the company says it is reviewing the feedback to help it develop more detailed proposals that will be shared during a second round of public consultations in 2025. The recent consultations attracted more than 3,000 people to in-person events and the company received 6,700 messages of feedback.
Cllr Jackson said the second round of consultation would give borough residents another chance to air their views in 2025. “Opposition to this huge scheme is growing by the day. Whilst the council welcomes the need for an electricity upgrade we are extremely concerned about the impact of these overhead powerlines to our communities and the environment.
“We are supporting our neighbouring authorities in opposing this scheme and we ask local people not to sit back and let this pass without making their individual and collective views known. This scheme will change our local landscape for generations to come and we believe that National Grid must urgently review its proposals.
“If it is needed, we fully support Lincolnshire County Council’s intention to take legal action to challenge the reasoning that this infrastructure is the best solution.”
