North Lincolnshire’s Isle of Axholme Foodshare Project, a local foodbank, has had no choice but to dispose of donated food due to recurrent power cuts, causing frustration amongst local residents. Lee Pitcher, the Labour MP for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, reported that a resident informed him of approximately 10 instances since October where there was no power supply in their homes. The most recent power outage, caused by a generator failure on 15 April, affected about 500 customers, according to the local power supplier, Northern Powergrid. The company is currently working on a local substation as part of a £1m investment initiative. The foodbank, which aids 300 people weekly through food parcels and a community pantry, was forced to discard chilled food items after a lengthy power cut on 14 April. Paul Taylor of the project lamented the impact of the power cuts, noting that less food will now be available for those in need. Lee Pitcher revealed that residents experienced two consecutive days of power cuts on 14 and 15 April, with the problem persisting for several months. However, he expressed confidence in Northern Powergrid’s plans to improve power supplies to Haxey after a meeting with the company’s leaders in March. Northern Powergrid confirmed it was made aware of an unexpected power cut on the evening of 15 April 2025 and is currently carrying out upgrade works on a local substation. The company thanked customers for their patience during this challenging period.
This story was adapted by The Lincoln Post from original reporting by www.bbc.com.
