What is a General Vesting Declaration (GVD)?

This legal process enables the projects to acquire land rights for the delivery of the onshore infrastructure elements of the projects. 

Phase 1 of the GVD Programme applies solely to specific areas of land, such as unregistered plots, subsoil interests and locations where ownership remains unknown, that are required for the construction and operation of the onshore infrastructure components of the projects and for which it has therefore not been possible to acquire these by agreement.

This is not a blanket land acquisition; it is a targeted and legally defined step to ensure all land and rights in land are secured.  Negotiations continue to secure legal agreements with landowners where ownership is known.

What does this process look like? 

• The process begins with the execution of the General Vesting Declaration (GVD) by the project companies, followed by the posting of notices on affected land and written notices to any known parties with an interest. Notices will be placed on and around relevant plots along the cable route and near the Necton substation site and are expected to remain in place for three months. The notices will be placed into metal baskets, on boards at 63 separate locations. A photo of an example site notice basket is shown below.
• A statutory notice period of at least three months must pass before vesting takes legal effect. After this, land rights transfer to the projects and registration with HM Land Registry is completed.
• We do not anticipate any disruption to  landowners or local stakeholders as this phase of work concerns subsoil plots and land with no registered title.