Current status
DBS is in a period called 'examination' which will be followed by, 'recommendation' and 'decision'.
Current status:
The Preliminary Meeting for the DBS projects concluded on 14 January 2025, marking the official start of the six-month Development Consent Order examination period.
During the examination phase, Interested Parties are invited to provide more details about their views at hearings, the dates of which are set at the end of the pre-examination period.
The Examining Authority considers all important and relevant matters including the Representations of all Interested Parties, any supporting evidence submitted, and answers provided to the Examining Authority’s questions set out in writing or posed at hearings.
The Planning Inspectorate have confirmed a series of hearings in April 2025. These hearings will be virtual events and will take place 7-11 April 2025.
Details about the upcoming Compulsory Acquisition, and Issue Specific Hearings can be found in the Notice of Hearings. Recordings of the Preliminary Meeting and subsequent hearings will be available on the Planning Inspectorate website shortly after the meetings close.
Information about the hearings and how to get involved is set out on the Planning Inspectorate website where you can also view all application documents and register to be kept up to date throughout the examination process.
Planning Inspectorate websiteRecommendation and decision:
The Planning Inspectorate prepares a report about the application for the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. This report will include a recommendation and will be submitted within three months of the close of the examination. The Secretary of State then has a further three months to make the decision on whether to grant or refuse development consent.
Post decision:
Once a decision has been made and published, there is a six-week period in which the decision may be challenged in the High Court. This process of legal challenge is known as Judicial Review.
Other pages you might be interested in
The story so far...
The DBS projects have been through a detailed development phase
About RWE and Masdar
In February 2024, RWE and Masdar joined forces to deliver DBS.
Keep in touch
Get in touch and ask questions with our project team