Overview
National Grid is building a new electricity substation (‘Uxbridge Moor’) on land bordering our existing substation in Iver.
This is needed to connect several customers to our electricity network to the west of London.
The national electricity network has recently seen a significant increase in demand for electricity. In the Iver area a large number of organisations have requested new power connections from National Grid and, as a regulated business, we have a legal obligation to meet these requests. The Uxbridge Moor substation will help us do that.
February 2025 update: On 13 February, Buckinghamshire Council’s Strategic Sites Committee voted to agree with the recommendation of officers and approve our application for Uxbridge Moor (planning reference PL/24/0449/FA).
We would like to thank everyone who has engaged with us to date on the proposals and for the feedback we received which helped us to refine and improve the application for the Uxbridge Moor substation.
Stay informed
Section 6 notice
In summer 2024, we (NGET) published a notice to comply with requirements in section 6 of the Green Belt (London and Home Counties) Act 1938. This is because: (1) We in our capacity as a statutory undertaker, needed to prepare for the possibility of exercising compulsory purchase powers in order to take forward the Uxbridge Moor project on the land referred to in the notice below and accompanying plan; and (2) the land referred to in the notice includes land subject to the provisions of the Green Belt (London and Home Counties) Act 1938.
In August 2024 we received the necessary consent from the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government to initiate compulsory purchase powers if required. The letter confirming this consent can be viewed below.
Please refer to the FAQ document below for further information.
Why it's needed
Fulfilling our duty to provide power
The new Uxbridge Moor connection is needed to connect several new customers to our transmission network to meet a significant increase in electricity demand to the west of London. As a regulated business, we have a legal obligation to connect customers to our network when a connection is requested.
Our existing substation in the Iver area does not have the existing capacity for new connections. Therefore, our Uxbridge Moor substation will help businesses grow and support the online networks that we all rely on.
Who will use the power?
The proposed connectors to Uxbridge Moor are new data centres and an Independent Distribution Network Operator (DNO).
DNOs are companies licensed to distribute energy around the UK, including to local homes and businesses. Data centres are buildings dedicated to housing computers and digital storage.
Benefits of the new substation
Leaving a positive legacy on the community
As well as meeting the needs of our local customers, the new substation is a key part of National Grid’s nation-wide expansion of the grid network to meet the power demands of the future.
We are aware of the impact our work and infrastructure can have on local people, and are committed to leaving a positive impact. This is often achieved through support for local community organisations, charities, schools and beyond. National Grid’s nation-wide community grant programme, and project-specific grants, are offered wherever we work. More information on our community grant programme can be found here.
Project timeline
Indicative project timeline
| October 2023 | End of public consultation |
| February 2024 | Application submission |
| February 2025 | Application determination |
| Summer 2025 | Earliest potential date to start construction |
| 2029 | Anticipated energisation of the substation |
Frequently asked questions
Electrical substations convert electricity into different voltages so it can be transmitted throughout the country to local homes and, businesses. They play a vital part in effectively transmitting electricity through our national system.
This substation is needed to connect several new customers to our transmission network to meet a significant increase in electricity demand to the west of London, predominantly from new data centres. As a regulated business, we have a legal obligation to connect customers to our network when a connection is requested. More detail is available here.
Following a successful planning application, we would expect a substation of this type to take up to four years to complete. As such, we expect to finish the project in 2029.
We are committed to minimising the impact of our essential works on local communities.
We have given careful consideration to highways and traffic to ensure that our proposals have minimal impact on local roads, both during construction and operation. An Outline Construction Traffic Management Plan was submitted alongside the planning application which identifies recommended routes for construction vehicles, using major roads where possible to limit use of local roads and residential areas.
Our proposals have also been carefully considered and designed to ensure we can reduce any visual impact where possible, including locating it close to the existing substation to reduce visibility and avoid the need for additional overhead lines. The site is also naturally screened by greenery, the M25, and the quarry. Using ‘Gas Insulated Switchgear’ (GIS) technology will reduce the footprint of the proposed site by around 70 per cent, further minimising the impact.
We are also committed to leaving a positive legacy where we work. Communities impacted by construction work for new infrastructure projects (including substations) can apply for grants of up to £20,000. More information can be found here.
Our public consultation on these proposals closed on 6 October. We are grateful for all the comments and feedback received as part of the consultation which helped to shape our final plans. Detail on how we responded to feedback can be found in the Statement of Community Involvement which was submitted as part of the planning application and can be viewed on the council’s planning portal here.
Contact
For more information, please get in touch:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0800 915 2494 (between 9am and 6pm, Monday to Friday)
Freepost RTBU-HAYY-LCUX, 7 Bayley Street, London WC1B 3HB (no stamp needed)