Information for landowners
When developing proposals for network upgrades, we need to understand who has a legal interest in the land in and around the areas being considered as part of the projects.
In the DCO process, anyone with a legal interest in land is known as a Person with an Interest in Land (PIL). If you are identified as a PIL, we will contact you directly.
Whilst much of the information we need to confirm a legal interest on is available on public registers, we have appointed land suppliers Ardent to contact individual landowners to verify the publicly available information and ensure NGET has have made best efforts to identify any potentially impacted landowners. Ardent operates across multiple sectors, providing land and consenting advice to support the promotion and delivery of major projects in the UK and Ireland.
More information regarding National Grid’s land rights and payment schedules, can be found here.
Ardent will also assist with contacting landowners and occupiers to arrange access for non-intrusive and intrusive surveys which we plan to carry out whilst we develop the proposals and prepare the application for a development consent order.
More detailed information for landowners, along with relevant contact information can be found on the landowner page of our project website.
If you are a landowner and believe your property may be affected by our proposals, and want to talk to our lands team, please email [email protected] or call 0203 302 0545 or write to: EGL 3 and EGL 4, Ardent, 36 Park Row, Leeds, LS1 5JL.
Surveys
To understand more about the local environment, and to inform the environmental impact assessment, we need to carry out surveys. These will be on land within the corridor, on some adjoining land, and areas that may be identified through consultation feedback as potentially sensitive.
These surveys are to assess the landscape, ecology and cultural heritage aspects of the area, to inform further detailed environmental assessments. All survey information gathered has been published either as part of our Preliminary environmental information report or will support our application for a development consent order.
Ongoing surveys
Below is a list of our ongoing and upcoming surveys. If for any reason a survey cannot take place on the scheduled date, such as poor weather conditions, we will endeavour to reschedule the survey in a timely manner.
Access to land plots are agreed before any surveys may take place. If you are a landowner and have questions about the surveys on your land, please email [email protected] or call 0203 302 0545 or write to: EGL 3 and EGL 4, Ardent, 36 Park Row, Leeds, LS1 5JL.
Date | Survey | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
January 2025 onwards | Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) Survey | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | The survey consists of accessing land by foot and using a hand auger to take a soil sample down to describe the soils. A small number of soil pits will be dug using a spade to assess some of the topsoil characteristics in representative soil types. All materials exposed is then returned to the hole immediately following description of the profile. |
January 2025 onwards | Ecology UK Hab, PEA walkover surveys | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | Undertaken by pairs of surveyors. The survey is an initial assessment of the ecological features present, or potentially present within a specified area. It includes the mapping the habitat types present and recording condition of habitats present. It also assessing the suitability of habitats for protected or priority species and recordings sightings of invasive non-native plant and animal species. |
January 2025 onwards | Badger Survey | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | A pair of surveyors will undertake a detailed walkover survey via walkover to identify field signs of badger and identify the presence of badger setts. |
January 2025 onwards | Breeding birds | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | During on-passage bird survey, undertaken between September and October (autumn passage) and February and April (spring passage), two surveyors will look for any on-passage birds; all calls and behaviour will be recorded. These will include foreshore and field counts. |
January 2025 onwards | Bird transects & Intertidal Bird Surveys | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey | A pair of surveyors will conduct walked transects or stationary vantage point surveys along the coastline to spatial distribution and activity information of waders and wildfowl on the intertidal shorelines and sea surface. Information will be collected on OS maps or digital devices. |
April 2025 onwards | Otter and Water Vole Surveys | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | Surveyors undertake targeted field surveys for potential otter breeding sites and resting places and bankside and in-channel searches for water voles. Subsequent monitoring may be required. This may comprise walkover surveys, boat-based surveys and/or deploying cameras for remote wildlife monitoring. Field signs recorded include the presence of latrines, burrows, runs, footprints, feeding remains, dropping and sightings. |
January 2025 onwards | Bat – preliminary roost suitability surveys/PRA | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | A pair of surveyors will undertake a visual assessment of trees from ground level to assess for their suitability to support roosting bats. |
June 2025 onwards | Bat Roost – preliminary aerial tree-climbed inspection | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | The survey will be undertaken where the GLTA identifies trees with PRF or is unable to confirm their absence from the ground. The survey will also involve certified climbers using ladders or specialist roped-access equipment to further inspect target trees. |
April 2025 Onwards | Bat activity surveys - transects | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | The survey involving a walkover will be undertaken at night-time. The surveyors will walk a transect route focusing on areas of higher activity. Surveyors will also walk the transect and note bat activity, they will be equipped with bat detectors and torches between April – May, June – August, September and October. |
April 2025 Onwards | Bat activity surveys – static detector deployment /collection | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | A pair of surveyors will place static bat detectors in suitable habitat. This bat detector will be left in place for 1-2 weeks and then collected so the data can be analysed. |
May to September 2025 | Bat crossing point survey | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | Survey undertaken at night-time of linear habitat features (such as woodland edges, treelines and hedgerows) arriving prior to dusk to set up equipment. Surveyors will be equipped with night vision aids, bat detectors and torches. The surveyors will walk to the linear feature and remain in this location for the duration of the survey. A total of two visits per location is required between the end of May and end August. |
August 2025 onwards | Bat catching surveys | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | Daytime Visits: Surveyors will undertake a site walkover during daylight hours. This is to allow a review of suitable survey locations, health and safety risk and access restrictions to be noted ahead of the nighttime surveys commencing. Nighttime survey: The nighttime survey will consist of the team arriving approximately 1 hour prior to sunset (depending on walking distance to survey locations). The team will drive (if possible, walk if not) to the survey location for that evening. Within set locations within the land parcel, catching equipment in the form of either a harp trap or mist net will be deployed. During the evening the traps and nets will be checked regularly for bats, bats removed (if present) and processed taking the required measurements. Bats will be released as soon as the measurements have been completed. All measures will be taken to ensure the bats and surveyors safety. Surveyors will likely be undertaking the survey until sunrise, when equipment will be checked and packed up. If sufficient data has been gathered prior to sunrise, surveyors will be pack up and leave earlier than planned. The traps and nets will be monitored throughout the night, they will not block vehicle tracks without prior approval, and no equipment will be left within the land parcel once the surveys have ben completed. if a nighttime visit is cancelled due to weather conditions, another visit will be scheduled. |
January 2025 onwards | Environmental Walkover Survey | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | A pair of surveyors will walk the publicly accessible areas and/or a land parcel looking at the nature of the land and the features within it. The surveyors will records information on a digital device or OS maps and may take photos to support the recorded information. This survey might include a pre statutory consultation in person walk through with Natural England, between Landfall and Gunby Hall |
March 2025 onwards | Geophysical Survey | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland | Non-intrusive surveys to detect and map contrasts between buried archaeological remains and the surrounding soil. The geophysical survey will be carried out using a handheld cart or All-Terrian Vehicle (ATV) and will require the use of a standard gradiometer, which will identify buried anomalies of potential archaeological origin at specified locations. |
April to September 2025 | Noise and vibration survey | Walpole to Wisbech | Two surveyors will install unattended noise and vibration monitoring equipment at up to three secure locations. These will be left for a period of 1-2 weeks, then surveyors will return to collect equipment. Measurements are not seasonally dependent, however are weather dependent so will need relatively dry and calm weather, and would be conducted outside of school holiday periods, peak tourist times and peak harvesting periods. |
April to September 2025 | Aquatic survey (fish & invertebrates) | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk | A non-intrusive walkover survey will be undertaken by a pair of experienced aquatic ecologists walking the full length of a watercourse (or suitable ditch) mapping and assessing the habitat for valuable aquatic features. The aquatic ecology walkover survey will determine whether there is a need for further targeted aquatic surveys (macroinvertebrate, fish and macrophytes). |
June 2025 onwards | Drainage Survey | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | Walkover survey to assess the topography of the land, existing land drainage and potential outfall locations for any additional drainage that may be needed during construction. Survey will be undertaken by a small team on foot. This will occur all-year round, across 1-2 days per site, depending on size of the survey area. |
July 2025 onwards | Arboriculture Survey | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | Walkover surveys to identify quality of trees and identify where their canopies and roots extend. Surveyors will assess each tree subject to a broader arboricultural assessment recording species, Root Protection Areas, canopy coverage, tree condition and health. These surveys will occur in day visits (though visits may take multiple days dependent on the size of the land surveyed and tree cover). |
July 2025 onwards | Groundwater Survey | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | A non-intrusive private water, and public, supply survey to ground truth data in relation to the use and reliance on groundwater abstractions. Surveyors will comprise interviews with abstraction licence owners to gather data on the nature of the water source and establish if scheme will bisect private distribution systems. |
July 2025 onwards | Great Crested Newt (GCN) – Habitat Suitability | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk | A pair of surveyors will undertake a visual inspection of waterbodies to assess the suitability (such as geographical location, presence of other ponds nearby, presence of fish, presence of waterfowl) to support great crested newts. |
August 2025 onwards | Soil Resource Survey | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | Surveyor will access land by foot and using a hand auger to take a soil sample. The exact locations within each field will be determined on site by surveyor and will avoid areas such as farm tracks, field edges etc. Soil pits also be dug using a spade to assess topsoil characteristics in representative soil types. All materials exposed will be laid on plastic sheeting for describing the relevant characteristics and then returned to the hole immediately. Iti s proposed that no auger hole / soil pits are left open for more than 30 minutes and no equipment will be left on site. |
January 2025 onwards | Non-intrusive Ground Investigation (topographic, electrical resistivity tomography, ground penetrating radar, overhead line, bathymetry) | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk | These surveys are undertaken to gather data on the natural physical features of the area, such as terrain, drainage ditches, watercourses, as well as man-made features such as roads and railways. Various techniques are used to collect data including surveying, scanning and use of un-manned remote-controlled craft. |
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