Wednesday 13 March 2024

National Grid capacity shortage halts UK home building

Delays in National Grid connections are causing significant setbacks in housing and green energy projects across the UK, council leaders have cautioned.

The backlog, attributed to a capacity crunch, is forcing building schemes for thousands of homes to be put on hold, while new projects face delays of up to four years in some regions.

The increasing queue of developers awaiting grid connections has exacerbated the situation, with those aiming to establish wind turbines, solar farms, or micro-hydroelectric schemes experiencing even longer waits.

Senior members of the District Councils’ Network (DCN) emphasise that these delays are impeding the UK economy's progress.

Bridget Smith, Vice-Chair of the DCN and leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, described the situation as a national infrastructure crisis.

Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council and another DCN Vice-Chair, highlighted specific challenges faced by housing projects.

Ms Brown noted an instance where heat pumps for 90 new homes had to be abandoned due to insufficient power capacity, leading to half of the houses resorting to gas boilers instead.