Email from National grid about Section 172 notices
As you may be aware, we recently held a public consultation where we met with local residents, community groups, MPs and councillors to discuss our proposals for Grimsby to Walpole. Now that our first stage of public consultation has closed, I am writing to provide you with an update on our next steps.
Over the months ahead, our project team will be carefully considering all of the feedback received from this first stage of consultation, before drawing up more detailed proposals that we will look to bring to consultations that are planned for next year. Also feeding into and informing that work will be further on-the-ground surveys, both environmental and design-related surveys. Those initially will be non-intrusive and walkover surveys. At later stages, they may include intrusive surveys.
In order to carry out these surveys, we need to obtain permission to access private land within the route corridor. It is very much hoped that we can agree access to land voluntarily, and we put a lot of effort into seeking to do so. To that end, we also understand the controversial nature of projects at an early stage like this and the reluctance of some landowners to agree.
Grimsby to Walpole is of national significance, being a key project to start to tackle this country’s net zero targets, energy security and energy affordability. We must therefore carry out work to inform and develop our proposals and do that with the right environmental information. Our land agents have been seeking to agree voluntary access and will continue to do so. Where that cannot be agreed, we need to use powers provided by relevant legislation.
Over the next few weeks, we will be issuing letters to a small number of landowners along the route confirming this. We remain very hopeful that we will be able to reach voluntary agreements with landowners in time to carry out these surveys. The legislation we propose to use is under Section 172 of the Housing and Planning Act (2016). Where access is taken, the usual statutory compensation provisions will of course still apply.
These surveys are critical to help us better understand the local environment and potential effects of our work for informed decisions to be made on routeing and siting the project. We are keen to progress these to inform the continued development of more detailed proposals for future consultation, which will help reduce uncertainty for local communities. Findings of these surveys will be included with our eventual submission to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS).
Allowing National Grid access to land does not stop landowners making representations about the project at any time and allowing us access for surveys does not affect any rights to comment in any form.
If you would like any further information on this, or any other aspect of the project, then we would be more than happy to arrange a meeting at a time which is convenient for you. You can contact our Community Relations team at contact@g-w.nationalgrid.com or call our Freephone at 0800 0129 153 or visit our website www.nationalgrid.com/g-w for more information
Kind regards,
Ben Muncey
Project Director
