Bridlington Under Sea Power Cable Plan

Plans for a power cable route under the East Riding as part of efforts to help move renewable between England and Scotland are set to go before councillors next month.

Plans from the National Grid would see the almost 42-mile (67km) route laid under the East Riding from Drax Power Station to Fraisthorpe, near Bridlington.

It is part of a larger project to run a 505km undersea cable from Northern Scotland all the way to Drax. National Grid say:

"We are proposing to install a 505km cable that will carry more green electricity from Scotland to our network in England and to build a new converter station at Drax, North Yorkshire.

The cable will run under the North Sea for approximately 437km and then come ashore at Wilsthorpe, just south of Bridlington. The cable will then run underground for approximately 68km where it will connect to our proposed converter station and existing substation.

The converter station will convert the DC electricity to AC electricity and connect to our existing substation which will enable the electricity to be transmitted around the country."

They state it would help the UK meet carbon neutral targets by allowing supplies of renewable energy, particularly offshore wind power, to be moved to where they are needed.

But objections including from the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) claimed the cables could cause problems for agriculture while people living nearby have raised concerns about noise during construction.

It comes as the plans are set to go before East Riding Council’s Planning Committee on Thursday, March 2.

The plans, a joint venture between National Grid Electricity Transmission and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), are one part of the Scotland England Green Link 2.

The wider project is a 2GW high voltage transmission link which runs between Peterhead and Drax Power Station, near Selby.

The East Riding section of the route would run north east, south of Holme-Upon-Spalding-Moor and Market Weighton roughly in line with the A614, past Driffield to Fraisthorpe on the coast.

The route would carry two cables measuring 15cm in diameter, buried at a minimum of 0.9m underground, along with another to monitor them.

The depth of the cables can be lowered and the applicants plan to consider doing so on a case by case basis.

Construction vehicles including light and heavy goods vehicles would access the route from the A165 on a temporary access track.

The plans would also see a new converter station built at Drax Power Station.

Council planning officers have recommended that the plans be approved.

An interactive map of the route is available here https://aecomnatgrid.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=60ce3079e75f4ecc91ad167bb1e89c87

Plans stated the cable route was part of efforts to significantly transform the UK energy grid to meet carbon neutrality targets and improve energy security.

The plans stated:

“The British Energy Security Strategy sets out the Government’s aims to reduce reliance on coal and gas and to generate and store more renewable and nuclear energy in the UK and recognises the importance of the transmission network within this strategy.

“It also requires the expansion and growth of that transmission network to connect new green energy generation, and to transfer the power where it is needed most.

“The primary objective of the project is to reinforce the electricity network and increase transmission network capabilities between Scotland and northern England by 2029 in order to enable the efficient and economic transmission of electricity.

“The routing has been carefully designed to avoid areas where impacts on amenity, the environment and land use may be greatest.”

But the NFU claimed the minimum depth of 0.9m for the cables could cause problems for farming machines, calling for the depth to be increased to 1.2m.

They also claimed there had been a lack of communication with landowners.

The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust have also objected over the effects on species living along the proposed route.

Northern Gas Networks objected over concerns the cables could affect their infrastructure.

A further 26 objections have also been lodged from the public, claiming aspects of the scheme including access routes for traffic had not been properly discussed with those affected.

Concerns were also raised about noise and light affecting nearby homes during construction and there are claims long term effects of aspects of the application have not been accounted for.