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 2026 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 2026 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. |
January 2026 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. |
January 2026 onwards | Geophysical Survey | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk | 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. |
January 2026 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. |
January 2026 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. |
January 2026 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 2026 onwards | Wintering Bird Surveys | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | A non-intrusive survey consisting of surveyors walking predetermined transect routes observing and listening for birds. The survey included recording all the species on paper maps or digital tablets in the field. For targeted species the methodology may differ depending on the species surveyed. Depending on results in some selected areas recording of bird sounds may also be used, with recording equipment in place for at least two days. |
January 2026 onwards | Bat Roost – Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA) of buildings/structures and Ground Level Tree Assessment (GLTA) | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | External assessment of buildings/structures and ground level inspection of trees to identify potential roosting features (PRF) and classify the suitability of the building/structure/tree for supporting roosting bats. This initial survey will identify the requirement for further survey to confirm the presence/likely absence of PRF (if unconfirmed during the PRA/GLTA) and/or roosting bats. |
January 2026 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 2026 onwards | Archaeological Trial Trenching | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland | Archaeological trial trenches are excavated using a mechanical excavator in a working area typically 60m long and 10m wide. The trenches are up to 50m long, approximately 2m wide and typically 0.4-0.7m deep. Topsoil is excavated by machine and is typically 0.30-0.40m deep. If subsoil is present this is also removed by machine and is kept separate from topsoil. Typically, trial trenches go to a depth of 0.4-0.7m. If anything of interest is found further investigation may be required.
Any archaeology, such as pits, ditches or walls will be investigated by hand tools (mattocks, shovels, trowels) and recorded using GPS survey kits. Trenches are backfilled with the excavated materials in the order in which they were excavated and are compacted by the machine excavator. Plant will typically include 360° tracked excavators that are delivered by low-loaders at agreed locations. Equipment is transported in a 4x4 which will be parked close to the survey area. Welfare vans and welfare trailers are used and may be placed upon track-matting, usually situated by the access to the survey area from the public highway |
January 2026 onwards | Soil Pits Survey | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland | The work will be carried out on foot to complete a small hand excavated soil pit, measuring 1mx1m1x1m using a spade to investigate and examine the soil profile. 2-3 soil samples (about 500g each) will be collected and soil will be reinstated after examination. |
February 2026 – March 2026 | Landscape Type Survey | Norfolk – Kings Lynn & West Norfolk | Visual inspection of Walpole area with a larger group (18 people) using photographic equipment (potentially a 360 camera TBC). The group will include a few representatives from King’s Lynn and West Norfolk LPA, Norfolk County Council, a design review panellists’ group, C&W, WSP and NGET representatives (18 people max). The plan is for the EGL3 &4 team to present the converter stations and substation sites to the LPA and panellists using those 7 viewpoints as detailed within RAMS. |
February 2026 onwards | Environmental Walkover Survey | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South HollandNorfolk – 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 2026 onwards | Great Crested Newt (GCN) – Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) Assessment | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | 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. |
March 2026 onwards | River Condition Assessment (RCA) and Ditch Assessment | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk | A pair of surveyors will walk the length of a watercourse, drains and ditches, to gather information on the characteristics of the watercourse/drain/ditch to inform a condition assessment. |
March 2026 | Geology Walkover | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | Two surveyors will walk the land parcel / from PRoW where appropriate to look at the nature of the land and the features within it. The surveyors will records information on a digital device and may take photos to support the recorded information. The survey will take place during daylight hours. |
March 2026 onwards | Aquatic receptors (macrophyte and fish surveys) | 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). Macrophyte surveys may be undertaken within the watercourse (surveyors using waders) or from the bankside, with vegetation collected, analysed and returned in the field. Fish surveys may be also undertaken within the watercourse or via a boat (depending on the size of the watercourse). The fish survey uses electrofishing equipment, operated by certified surveyors and under an Environment Agency permit. (Electrofishing will be conducted subject to permit approval). |
March 2026 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. |
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