'We remain neutral': Skegness Pleasure Beach clarifies inclusion in National Grid advert after concerns are raised

Lincolnshire Against Needless Destruction (LAND) has raised concerns about the advert, which states: “As more people come to enjoy the rides, it’s going to need more power and that’s where the Great Grid Upgrade comes in.”

LAND argues this message is misleading and does not reflect the purpose of the infrastructure project – which National Grid has stated is ‘to increase the capability of the electricity transmission system between the North and the Midlands and the Midlands and the South’.

However, both National Grid and Skegness Pleasure Beach say the park was used merely used as a backdrop for filming as part of a regional awareness campaign, with the attraction stating it has no involvement or stance on the project.

In a statement released to Lincolnshire World, LAND points to National Grid’s own Grimsby to Walpole Background Document (January 2024), which states: “These changes include a need to increase the capability of the electricity transmission system between the North and the Midlands, and between the Midlands and the South… to facilitate offshore wind and subsea connections.”

LAND says this confirms the Great Grid Upgrade is national transmission infrastructure designed to move bulk power across regions, rather than increasing local electricity supply in areas such as Skegness or directly powering local attractions.

The group also argues that Skegness Pleasure Beach is supplied via the local distribution network rather than the high-voltage transmission system, and says the advert could therefore imply local benefits that do not exist.

LAND has raised concerns about what it describes as “greenwashing”, questioning whether public bill payers could be funding promotional activity through regulated transmission costs, and has submitted complaints to both Ofgem and the Advertising Standards Authority.

The campaign, developed by M&C Saatchi, has been described as “hyper-local storytelling” designed to make national infrastructure more relatable.

In response to the claims, a spokesperson for National Grid told Lincolnshire World that Skegness Pleasure Beach was included as part of a regional campaign intended to illustrate why investment in the electricity network is needed.

They said electricity demand is expected to double in the years ahead, including in Lincolnshire as more transport, heating and industry switch to electricity. While homes, businesses and public services are supplied through local electricity networks, those systems rely on the high-voltage transmission grid to move electricity around the country.

They said: “The grid we have today was not built for the level of demand we expect in future, so upgrading it is essential to deliver secure, cleaner electricity from more affordable sources.”

A spokesperson for Skegness Pleasure Beach said the attraction agreed to be used as a filming location but stressed it has no involvement in the project.

They said: “Skegness Pleasure Beach was approached by the National Grid, who requested to feature our park as a backdrop in their Great Grid Project advertisement. We agreed to this request as a location, but we want to be clear that we have no affiliation or stance on the project. We remain neutral and simply provided a backdrop for their creative campaign. Our focus stays on welcoming our guests and serving the local community.”