National Grid invites Derbyshire residents to share views on proposals for a clean electricity project that will boost home-grown energy supplies and progress towards net zero

The eight-week public consultation, which starts 14 May and runs until 9 July, will share proposals for Chesterfield to Willington, a new 60-kilometre, high voltage electricity power line running between a new substation at Chesterfield (part of a separate project Brinsworth – High Marnham) and an existing substation at Willington.

The way homes and businesses in the UK use electricity is changing rapidly and with demand set to double in the coming years, a cleaner and a more secure form of energy is being generated by new offshore windfarms.

The grid was largely built in the 1960s with little to no transmission infrastructure supporting connections to offshore wind from the east coast of England and Scotland. Therefore, the existing power lines between the North and the Midlands do not have capacity to accommodate the increased power flows from offshore wind. Building a new power line between Chesterfield and Willington will increase the capacity in the centre of the country, enabling cleaner, greener energy to be carried around the network, benefiting homes and businesses in Derbyshire and beyond, and supporting the UK’s offshore wind and net zero targets.

The proposals follow the publication in 2022 of the Electricity System Operator’s ‘Pathway to 2030 Holistic Network Design’, which established the onshore and offshore electricity transmission network reinforcements required to meet government net zero targets, including the Chesterfield to Willington project.

The project also forms part of National Grid’s The Great Grid Upgrade, which will see other significant new infrastructure built across England and Wales to move more clean energy from where it’s generated to where it’s needed, helping the UK meet its net zero ambitions and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. It will also contribute to lower energy bills over the long term, provide a catalyst for a green jobs boom and make the UK’s energy more self-sufficient. Investment in the UK’s electricity network industry will contribute an average of £18.4bn to GDP and support around 220,000 jobs each year between 2024 and 2035.¹

National Grid has recently announced the launch of a pioneering new partnership with seven supply chain partners, to address supply chain challenges and skills shortage across nine major infrastructure projects across England and Wales, which includes the Chesterfield to Willington project.

Leanne Evans, Project Director for National Grid said: “The government’s offshore wind and net zero targets means an increase in the amount of wind generation developed offshore.

“The new power line we are proposing will mean more clean energy generated, mostly from offshore windfarms can be carried and moved around the network in the Midlands to where it is needed, benefiting homes and businesses in Derbyshire and beyond.

“The launch of our consultation is the beginning of our engagement with communities and stakeholders along the proposed route corridor and we encourage people to share their views as we develop our proposals in more detail.”

The project is classified as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and requires a special type of planning application; a Development Consent Order (DCO). An independent panel of inspectors is appointed to review the plans of any DCO application. The inspectors issue a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Energy Security & Net Zero who makes the final decision whether to grant planning permission.

If permission is granted, construction would be expected to begin in 2028 and be operational in 2031.
 

Consultation information

Members of the public can take part in the consultations and speak with National Grid’s team by attending consultation events and online webinars, or by visiting https://www.nationalgrid.com/the-great-grid-upgrade/chesterfield-to-willington

Paper copies of consultation materials will also be available to view at several locations in the local area.
 

 In person events 

Webinars  

A series of one-hour online webinar sessions will be held to present details of our proposals followed by a question-and-answer session. These include general overview webinars and location-themed webinars to allow you to attend the session that is of the most interest. You can locate the most relevant section to you by viewing the Our Proposals section or by visiting our online interactive map, which can be found on our website, and entering a place or location of interest. 

A recording of a general overview presentation is also available to view on our website after the first webinar on 21 May.

You can register to attend the webinars on the website. Alternatively, you can contact our community relations team on 0800 073 1047 or email at [email protected].

Ask the expert sessions

Members of the public with specific questions can book a ‘one-to-one’ session with a member of the project team. These can be held via telephone call back or video conferencing session. Please call us on 0800 073 1047 or email us at [email protected] to book an appointment.to book an appointment.

To help us set up the session and find the right expert(s), please tell us your preferred availability and question/topic of interest. These sessions are available throughout the duration of the consultation.
 

Local information points  

Paper copies of the key consultation materials will be available at several locations to ensure public access to the information throughout the consultation. These are located within or near the Emerging Preferred Corridor.

At these information points the consultation newsletter and feedback form are available to collect. Reference copies of the Project Background Document, SOR and CPRSS will be available to view.

Documents will be available at these locations throughout the consultation period. Opening hours can be subject to change so please check with the relevant venue for the most up-to-date opening hours before you visit.
 

Information point locations

¹ National Grid's policy paper: Delivering for 2035