Notes of the public meeting 12th November Net Zero projects
SWABY GROUP PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF PUBLIC MEETING HELD
12TH NOVEMBER 2025
Present:
Cllrs Gilpin (Chair); Cllrs Young, Wright, Bailey, Dransfield, Start, Taylor, Millburn and Gibson (as members of the public)
9 members of the public
Mrs J. Cooper (Parish Clerk)
Mr Andy Roberts (Speaker)
The Chairman welcomed everyone and introduced Andy Roberts speaker who opened by giving a brief background to himself and how he has become involved in the Net Zero projects proposed for the Lincolnshire area.
He briefly outlined what could be proposed for the area as well as what is definitely proposed. Some 22 projects for Lincolnshire, covering the Trent valley, Spalding, Walpole and Alford. These ranged from the proposed pylons moving electricity through substations proposed at Bilsby and Woodthorpe and down to Walpole. He covered the issue of climate change, noted some 200 years ago, with approx. 40 years ago the main issue being the hole in the ozone layer and greenhouse gases and the view that development of wind turbines, solar panels and nuclear energy were better than fossil fuel based power. This means National Grid would need to change the infrastructure to manage the change in power.
The Facebook page “No Pylons Lincolnshire” was formed, and later the LAND group (Lincolnshire Against Needless Development) which are the two main groups working for Lincolnshire area.
Potential projects include
- Carbon capture pipe from Immingham to Theddlethorpe with associated infrastructure to store gases at Conoco area and creation of hydrogen plant to mix gases with methane and transport along existing gas pipelines.
- Potential for desalination plant to provide water.
- EGL 3 & 4 bringing in power from off shore wind turbines from Theddlethorpe and then underground to Walpole
- EGL 5 cable going to converter station at Bilsby
- Converter stations (buildings potentially larger than the Amazon warehouses) at Bilsby and possibly Woodthorpe.
- Potential for small modular nuclear reactor station.
- BESS parks (Battery Energy Storage Sites) to provide back up power when no wind (possibly at Strubby)
- Solar farms to connect to substations/converter sites.
- Haul road to bypass Alford and carry heavy machinery and equipment to the converter stations.
Impact on the area would be on the roads in the area – particularly the A16 which could see in the region of 100 x heavy lorry movements per week. All steel, concrete and cabling to come by road transport. Impact on South Thoresby quarry as quarries would be utilised to supply hardcore, particularly for the proposed haul road around Alford.
No Pylons Lincolnshire campaigning for all cabling to be underground, or preferably at sea with an offshore substation grid. Levelling Up Act calls for protection of views to and from the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (the Wolds) which it is felt would give a legal argument for underground.
Questions included cost – National Grid state cheaper to construct pylons than cables go underground, however NG receives income for every connection to its grid which, if overground, would be considerable.
Working hours – to include deliveries 7 days a week.
Security – these projects could be targeted by unfriendly nations.
National Grid already ordered transformers for the substations.
Anticipated application to Government by National Grid in 2027 with a start 2029
The Chairman thanked Andy Roberts and drew the public meeting to a close.