Wayl-Ease is developing a secure, data-driven platform to streamline the process of obtaining asset consents — bridging the gap between network operators and landowners. The project aims to replace outdated, manual systems with a transparent, automated, self-service platform that enables digital engagement and payment for consents.
By giving customers real-time visibility into the status of consents and enabling quicker, more efficient transactions, Wayl-Ease will reduce delays in infrastructure delivery, improve the customer experience, and accelerate the pace of network transformation. The platform’s data-led approach will also enhance planning capabilities, empowering network operators and stakeholders with clearer insights into consent-related risks and timelines.
What is the project about?
Wayl-Ease addresses a growing challenge in the race to Net Zero: securing timely wayleave agreements between network operators and landowners. As electricity networks expand to accommodate more assets — many of which will be located on third-party land — the need for efficient, transparent consent processes is more critical than ever.
Wayleave agreements allow operators to install, access, and operate infrastructure on private land, with landowners receiving compensation in return. However, securing these consents can be time-consuming and complex, often delaying vital customer connections and operational upgrades.
Wayl-Ease will streamline and modernise this process through a digital, self-service platform that enables secure engagement, automated workflows, and digital payments. By reducing delays, improving visibility, and ensuring assets are properly consented, the project will help accelerate infrastructure rollout and deliver a more resilient, future-ready network.
How we’re doing it
During the Alpha Phase of Wayl-Ease, the project team mapped existing wayleave processes and identified key pain points for both DNOs and landowners. In response, they began designing an intelligent Asset Consents Platform (ACP) to streamline and modernise the wayleave process. The ACP will offer customers greater visibility and control over their agreements, including self-serve contracting, automated payments, asset recognition, and auto-generated maps. This will support more efficient whole system planning, ensure up-to-date agreements, and simplify the process of managing ownership changes.
The Alpha Phase is a collaborative effort involving UK Power Networks, Digital Catapult, Scottish Power Transmission, and Tata Consultancy Services. Together, they bring a mix of operational expertise, digital innovation, and technical development. User research and feedback from existing wayleave customers and other network operators will guide the design, ensuring the platform meets the needs of industry stakeholders and is scalable across the energy sector.
What makes it innovative
Wayl-Ease marks a step change in how the energy sector manages wayleave agreements, introducing the first digital platform of its kind for proactively handling asset consents across geographies. In contrast to today’s resource-intensive and manual processes — which can take up to three months due to email-based communication and delayed responses — Wayl-Ease streamlines and accelerates these interactions through automation and advanced digital tools.
This innovative solution goes beyond incremental improvements by using artificial intelligence to identify assets from customer photographs, applying predictive analytics to track landownership changes, auto-generating wayleave agreements and maps, and creating a transparent, self-service platform for landowners. By improving visibility and management of consents, the platform will enhance customer experience, reduce administrative burden, and unlock new insights to support whole system planning. It represents a win-win for both network operators and customers, offering faster processes, more accurate data, and greater engagement across the board.
What we’re learning
Through the Wayl-Ease project, we are uncovering several key challenges that hinder the efficiency and effectiveness of wayleave agreements:
Low visibility of landownership: Landowners often have limited awareness of DNO infrastructure on their properties. Changes in landownership can jeopardize the security of assets, as lack of clarity around wayleave agreements may result in assets becoming vulnerable to a “Notice to Remove,” undermining network stability.
Manual consent and payment processes: The current consent confirmation and wayleave agreement processes are cumbersome, relying on lengthy email exchanges. This leads to delays, inaccuracies in compensation payments, and increased operational costs for DNOs and TNOs. As the volume of applications rises, especially to meet Net Zero goals, there is an urgent need for a more efficient, streamlined approach to handle customer inquiries and facilitate smoother processes.
Lack of transparency for customers: The need for network extension, upgrades, and ongoing maintenance to support Net Zero requires access to land, customer information, and local planning data. However, the lack of transparency in the current consenting process often leads to repeated site visits and delays, frustrating customers and hindering timely works.
Wayl-Ease aims to address these issues by creating a digital platform that improves visibility, automates processes, and enhances customer engagement, ultimately reducing delays, costs, and frustration for all parties involved.
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