National Grid Refines Weston Marsh to East Leicestershire Electricity Upgrade Plans
National Grid has published refined proposals for the Weston Marsh to East Leicestershire electricity infrastructure project, a major network upgrade designed to strengthen the power system across Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
The project is intended to increase the capacity and resilience of the electricity network as the UK transitions toward a more electrified energy system. If approved, the proposals would involve the construction of approximately 60 kilometres of new overhead electricity line between Weston Marsh in Lincolnshire and an area near Wartnaby in Leicestershire.
The scheme would also include two new substations, one near Corby Glen and another near Wartnaby, together with approximately 66 kilometres of upgrades to the existing overhead electricity network. The combination of new infrastructure and improvements to existing assets is intended to enable more electricity to be transported across the region and support future demand.
National Grid is now seeking views on the revised plans through an eight-week Stage 2 Consultation. The consultation opened on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, and will run until Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Feedback gathered during this period will help inform the continued development of the project.
Weston Marsh to East Leicestershire is part of National Grid’s Great Grid Upgrade, a programme described by the company as the biggest investment in Britain’s electricity network for a generation. The project has been identified by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) as a required network reinforcement to support Britain’s future electricity needs.
National Grid said the existing electricity network does not have sufficient capacity to transport the increasing volumes of power expected in the coming decades. Electricity demand is forecast to more than double by 2050 as transport, heating, industry and other areas of the economy increasingly shift from fossil fuels to electricity.
The planned reinforcement is intended to provide additional capacity for connecting new sources of home-grown energy and transporting electricity to areas where it is needed. The infrastructure could also contribute to wider energy security objectives by strengthening the transmission network and providing additional resilience for homes, businesses and public services.
The project is expected to have implications extending beyond the immediate route corridor. National Grid said the network improvements will support economic growth, help create jobs and enable additional electricity generation to connect to the grid. The company is also engaging with communities located along the proposed route to understand local concerns and priorities.
Community benefits are another element of the project. Last year, the government announced guidance for a Community Benefit Fund under which £530,000 would be available for each new substation and £200,000 for every kilometre of overhead electricity line. National Grid said it will continue working with communities and other stakeholders to understand local priorities as the project progresses.
Victoria Strickland, Project Director for Weston Marsh to East Leicestershire, said the changing way electricity is generated and consumed means that additional network capacity will be needed to accommodate future demand.
She said the project would help prepare the electricity network for demand that is expected to more than double by 2050 while supporting the connection of more home-grown British energy.
Strickland also highlighted National Grid’s approach of upgrading existing infrastructure where possible. According to the company, part of the Weston Marsh to East Leicestershire project will involve upgrades to existing overhead lines. However, a new connection is also required between Weston Marsh in Lincolnshire and the area near Wartnaby in Leicestershire to move electricity from generation sources, including those located along the Lincolnshire coast, further west.
National Grid’s latest proposals have been informed by feedback received during an earlier consultation, as well as continuing environmental surveys and technical assessments.
The Stage 1 Consultation was held between June and August 2025. During that consultation, 842 people attended in-person events, while a further 47 people participated in online consultation events. National Grid received 936 responses in total.
The feedback, combined with the findings of environmental and technical work, has resulted in a number of changes to the proposals.
In South Holland, the proposed route has been adjusted to align more closely with Surfleet. National Grid said this change is intended to reduce potential visual effects on nearby homes while making use of screening provided by existing woodland in the wider South Holland area. Further route refinements in South Holland are designed to reduce potential effects on homes, views and local features, including by avoiding a permitted residential development.
In South Kesteven, the company has selected a route that moves farther away from Haconby, Dunsby and Stainfield. National Grid is also progressing with a route south of Corby Glen and has presented a more defined site boundary for the proposed WMEL-A substation.
Another refinement has been made to the route south of Potter Hill. The adjustment is intended to reduce potential impacts on local views while making use of existing woodland screening.
Environmental considerations have also influenced the updated proposals. The route has been refined to help reduce potential impacts on the Holwell Nature Reserve Complex and the Holwell Mouth Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The latest plans additionally include temporary access routes and work areas that would be required to safely undertake upgrades to the existing overhead electricity network. National Grid has also continued to refine the design and layout of the proposed WMEL-B substation.
The Stage 2 Consultation provides communities, landowners, businesses and other stakeholders with an opportunity to review the updated proposals and provide feedback. National Grid will consider responses alongside further technical assessments and environmental studies as it develops the project.
The Weston Marsh to East Leicestershire scheme forms part of a broader transformation of Britain’s electricity infrastructure. As electricity generation becomes increasingly diversified and demand rises across multiple sectors, strengthening transmission and distribution networks is expected to be important to the UK’s ability to connect new generation and transport power efficiently.
For communities across Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, the proposed investment represents a significant change to the local electricity infrastructure. National Grid’s ongoing consultation process is intended to balance the need for additional network capacity with environmental, residential and community considerations as the project moves toward its next stages.
Source Link: https://www.nationalgrid.com/
