Scotland to England Green Link: information for landowners

The overall construction duration from 2024 to 2029 is for the entire project. There won’t be construction activity everywhere along the underground cable route for that entire period. The durations that individual temporary compounds will be in place for will vary.

We will have more information about works in each specific location when a main works contractor is appointed and when the detailed construction programme has been worked through with the contractor. As a general principle, we will schedule the sequencing of construction works in the most efficient way, to minimise the duration that works are on site and length of time that temporary construction compounds need to be in place for.

As is National Grid’s best practice we will keep landowners and their agents informed as the detailed construction programme is developed with the main works contractor.

The sequence for the construction works is to be confirmed, but we will have an understanding of this once the main works contractor has been appointed. We will keep landowners and their agents informed as to the detailed construction programme.

We were granted full planning permission by East Riding of Yorkshire Council for the majority of the project’s onshore underground cable, and associated works to construct it, in March 2023.

We have applied to Selby District Council for outline planning permission for a new converter station and full planning permission for the section of onshore cable that would sit within the district.

However, the newly established North Yorkshire Council has now assumed the role of reviewing and approving the planning application. We are awaiting a decision from the new Council and expect it in the coming months.

Both applications are publicly available:

• East Riding of Yorkshire Council – you can view our approved application by visiting the Council’s planning portal  and inputting our application’s reference number: 22/01990/STPLFE.

• Selby District Council/North Yorkshire Council – you can view our application on Selby District Council’s planning portal, quoting the reference number: 2022/0711/EIA.

In line with the CPO guidance, we are preparing a CPO in parallel with the voluntary negotiation of land rights. We anticipate that the CPO will be made in the coming months and submitted to the secretary of state for confirmation. A Public Inquiry would take place if objections to the CPO are received and not resolved. We’re committed to seeking voluntary land rights where possible.

The Option Period is for five years to ensure the most proportionate approach to land rights acquisition. The structure of the documents allows for the permanent easement to cover the “as built” infrastructure, following a process which will include the detailed survey and design of the cable route. Temporary construction rights will initially be taken over a wider area. The option period covers the anticipated construction programme to allow construction to be completed and for the cable to be operational by 2029.

We consider the payment splits as proposed to be equitable, reflecting the larger extent of construction rights covered by the option, with the 25% reflecting the grant of permanent rights when the final easement is drawn down. The payment structure reflects that which is being offered on other schemes.

We are offering a payment of 80% of Market Value of the land and a 20% incentive payment (subject to time restrictions), not the freehold of the land, so the landowner will still be able to use this for normal agricultural purposes. On this basis, we will not be paying any additional Option Fee.

The main terms of the easement document / Option are set out in the HoTs. Landowners’ Solicitors will be sent legal documentation once instructed so that this can be completed between the parties based on the details provided by the landowner /agent.

During the Option Period, normal agricultural operations, such as the growing of shallow rooted crops or the grazing of livestock, will not be prevented. The Landowner covenants not to do or permit to be done anything which may limit, qualify or interfere with the rights to be granted to National Grid under the Cable Easement terms. The landowner will therefore be restricted from erecting any building, structure, plant or machinery or the of planting of any bushes or trees or similar vegetation within the proposed Easement Strip during the Option Period.

We are currently reviewing the stated rates within the Heads of Terms document based on other similar schemes where linear infrastructure projects have required compounds for several years on agricultural land, without the benefit of services. We will consider any evidence of rent paid for compounds on agricultural land by acquiring authorities acting with statutory powers in the background.

The project is currently going through the tendering stage. The programme is for contract award in early 2024. The construction works are due to be carried out in the period between contract award and the energisation of the cables in 2029, with completion of any remaining reinstatement works on completion of the energisation works. We have significantexperience of projects of these types and consider that the areas over which rights are sought include a broad enough corridor to encompass any likely changes to the indicative design, to allow the appointed contractor to undertake detailed design works. We have engaged with suppliers as part of the development of the project and subsequent tendering phase that the project is currently within.

We will pay reasonable agents’ fees for the negotiation of the heads of terms/documentation required to secure voluntary agreements, or in negotiation of compensation payments where land is acquired under a CPO.

We will not pay agents’ fees incurred in making representations and/or objections to the planning application or the CPO. This is detailed in Payment of Surveyors’ fees Version 6 – as provided to agents. We consider that it is important that this is explained to landowners by their agents so that landowners are aware of the extent of costs they may incur in making representations in respect of the planning application or the CPO.

This is detailed in Payment of Surveyors’ fees Version 6 – as provided to agents.

The initial ground investigation works were designed to gather short-term groundwater data to provide main works tenderers, with an indication of groundwater profiles and water-bearing strata. Groundwater monitoring installations typically comprise standard standpipe construction rather than piezometers.

The timeframe will commence upon issue of the Heads of Terms to landowners.