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 referencing firm 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 from summer 2024.
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 693 2500 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 will be published either as part of our preliminary environmental information report at our next stage of consultation or to 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 visit the landowners page for more information.
| 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 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. |
| February 2025 onwards | River Condition Assessment 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. |
| January 2025 onwards | Hedgerow Survey | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | A pair of surveyors will undertake a detailed hedgerow survey via walkover to establish character and condition of the hedgerows in the area. |
| 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, On-Passage and Wintering Bird Surveys | 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. During wintering bird surveys, undertaken between October and March inclusive, two surveyors will look for any wintering birds; all calls and behaviour will be recorded. These will include foreshore and field counts. |
| January 2025 onwards | 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. |
| January 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 | Great Crested Newt (GCN) – Habitat Suitability | 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. |
| January 2025 onwards | Bat – preliminary roost suitability surveys | 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. |
| January 2025 onwards | Environmental Walkover Surveys | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | A pair of surveyors will walk the 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. |
| February 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. |
| January to May 2025 | Intrusive Ground Investigations (exploratory holes to include boreholes, trial pits, cone penetration tests, window sampling, dynamic cone penetrometer tests) | Lincolnshire – East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland Norfolk – King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cambridgeshire - Fenland | The purpose of the ground investigation is to gather data on the ground conditions within the project area to inform the design of the various elements of the project. Exploratory holes will be used to collect samples for laboratory testing, carry out in-situ testing e.g. infiltration tests and provide descriptions of the ground profile. Groundwater monitoring standpipes will be installed in selected holes. All works are to be undertaken initially via Permitted Development Rights and in agreement with the Land owners, by an experienced and competent ground investigation contractor and, following completion of the works, land will be restored in accordance with Environment Agency good practice guidance. |
| January to April 2025 | 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. |
If you have any questions, please get in touch with us by emailing [email protected] or calling us on 0800 298 0405.
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