Residents raise concerns over National Grid’s Cross Border Connection

North Carlisle/Cumbria Against Pylons and Substation (NCAPS) said residents at the meeting had raised concerns about consultation, the potential impact on rural communities and the prospect of further electricity infrastructure being developed across the county.

The Cross Border Connection is National Grid Electricity Transmission’s proposal to strengthen the high-voltage network between Scotland and England.

In Cumbria, it could involve a new 400kV overhead line running from the border towards Carlisle, alongside a new substation and connections into the existing transmission network.

National Grid has put forward two broad options for the English part of the project.

Option A would involve a new substation north of Carlisle, near Harker, and around 28km of new overhead line connecting it to the border.

Option B would place the substation south of Carlisle and require a longer route—around 47km—before linking into the existing Harker-Hutton line.

NCAPS said it supported grid reinforcement in principle, including work intended to improve energy security and enable the transition to net zero, but argued that the project must be located and designed to minimise harm.

A spokesperson for the group said: “Last night’s meeting demonstrated the depth of concern across communities affected by National Grid’s Cross Border Connection proposals.

“Residents want meaningful consultation, transparent decision-making and a genuine opportunity to influence the project before a preferred option becomes fixed.”

The spokesperson added: “NCAPS strongly supports reinforcement of the electricity grid to improve energy security and help deliver the transition to net zero.

"However, the net-zero agenda must not be used to justify an ill-conceived or poorly planned infrastructure project in an unsuitable location.”

They said rural homes, farms, livelihoods, property, landscape, community wellbeing and “our wider way of life” should not face “avoidable and lasting harm”.

NCAPS said it believed Option B was the “better and more deliverable” site for the proposed substation.

The group said the southern option appeared capable of being developed with less impact on established rural communities, farms, homes and the landscape, while also providing more scope for future grid upgrades to be delivered in a “logical and coordinated location”.

It called on National Grid to publish what it described as a “like-for-like” comparison of the two options, considering environmental and community impacts, future expansion capacity, deliverability and the whole-life cost of future upgrades, rather than only the initial cost.

The NCAPS spokesperson said: “Our position is straightforward: the right infrastructure, in the right place, delivered in the right way.”

Representatives of the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK attended the meeting, according to NCAPS.

The campaign group also criticised Cumberland Council’s response to date, claiming residents felt the authority’s focus was disproportionately on west Cumbria and that northern communities had struggled to secure meaningful engagement.

NCAPS said correspondence sent by its members and other residents had either gone unanswered or had not received a substantive response.

It also raised concerns about the handling of a public petition, saying it had met the required threshold but was not considered at the expected council meeting because an officer’s covering report had not been prepared.

The spokesperson said: “Communities should not be disadvantaged by an internal administrative failure, particularly where the Council’s own governance arrangements provide a route for qualifying petitions to be heard.”

NCAPS called on the council to respond to outstanding correspondence, engage directly with affected communities, address the petition issue and set out a clear position before National Grid chooses its preferred option.

Cumberland Council has previously said it would not determine the eventual application because the scheme would follow the Development Consent Order process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.

A council spokesperson said: “The council is one of many consultees and does not determine the application. We will be participating in the process as it progresses, including the preparation of a local impact report.

“As the applicant, National Grid, has in place its own consultation process.”

National Grid said the Cross Border Connection was not the first phase of a single wider programme of transmission development across Cumbria.

A spokesperson said the need for the project had been identified by the National Energy System Operator, which is responsible for identifying electricity-network upgrades needed as demand grows and more renewable generation connects to the grid.

National Grid said any further potential reinforcement schemes would be developed, assessed and consulted on separately.

National Grid’s first-stage consultation ran between October and December 2025. The company is now reviewing feedback alongside environmental surveys, technical studies and discussions with councils, statutory bodies and other stakeholders.

It said responses could influence the route, substation location, design and mitigation measures, including steps to reduce effects on communities, landscape, heritage and the environment.

A National Grid spokesperson said after a previous meeting: “Homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals across Cumbria are using more electricity, and the grid needs to be upgraded to keep pace.

“Cross Border Connection would strengthen the grid between Scotland and England so cleaner, home-grown power from more affordable sources can get to where it is needed in Cumbria and beyond, and any future projects would be assessed and consulted on separately.

“We understand people are concerned about what new infrastructure could mean for their communities, and the valuable feedback we have received is helping us develop the next stage of proposals, expected in 2027.”

National Grid has said it expects to consult again on more detailed proposals in 2027 before submitting an application for development consent.