We, residents of all South Kesteven communities — from Bourne, Stamford and Grantham to villages such as Haconby, Corby Glen, South Witham, North Witham, Gunby and beyond — unite as SKRAP to demand that National Grid and the Secretary of State for Energy Security & Net Zero, Ed Miliband MP, pause the proposed Weston Marsh–East Leicestershire 400 kV overhead power line. Lower‑impact alternatives — undergrounding, routing alongside existing infrastructure, or offshore transmission — must be fully explored and transparently costed before any Development Consent Order is considered.

Why this matters

• Landscape & heritage
  Pylons up to 50 metres high would cut across open countryside, dominating familiar skylines from Haconby in the east to Corby Glen, South Witham, North Witham and Gunby in the west, erasing cherished views and historic vistas.
• Environmental impact
  Overhead lines fragment wildlife corridors, heighten bird‑strike risk, and undermine biodiversity.
• Community well‑being & property values
  Visual blight, construction disruption and ongoing maintenance intrusions will erode quality of life and depress house prices — while providing residents with no direct benefit.
• Democratic deficit
  As a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, the line can be approved by a single ministerial signature, bypassing local councillors and community wishes. To date, the Leader of South Kesteven District Council has remained silent on the issue, leaving residents without clear local representation.
• Fairness & proportionality
  Our district already shoulders multiple major infrastructure schemes. We refuse to be treated as an energy corridor when cleaner, less harmful alternatives exist.
• Unlocking future development
  The substations and grid connections linked to this project would increase transmission capacity — potentially unlocking further large-scale solar farm developments in our area, with all the associated land use and landscape pressures that entails.

Our demands

• Suspend the current route until every underground or offshore option is openly assessed, with full cost‑benefit analyses published.
• Meaningful consultation that genuinely incorporates residents’ input before designs are finalised.
• Independent environmental review covering cumulative impacts with other regional projects.
• Fair compensation & targeted local investment proportional to any disruption inflicted — should a line proceed at all.

How you can help

• Sign this petition to show National Grid and government ministers that the whole of South Kesteven stands united.
• Share with neighbours, parish councils, local businesses and community groups.
• Submit your own response via the consultation website (until 6 August).
• Attend drop‑in events & contact your MP, county and district councillors — ask them where they stand and demand a public statement from the SKDC Leader.

Together, we can protect South Kesteven’s countryside and ensure our voices are heard. Add your name today and help SKRAP stop the pylons.