Current status

Current status:

The Planning Inspectorate published a letter on 24 September 2024 confirming the date of the Preliminary Meeting as 22 October 2024. This letter included a draft timetable for the examination based on it commencing after the close of the Preliminary Meeting.

The Preliminary Meeting began on 22 October 2024 but was adjourned in response to a request from the Examining Authority for additional information. The information was supplied throughout October and November 2024 and on 17 December 2024 the Examining Authority issued a letter outlining a revised draft timetable for a six-month examination process commencing with the Preliminary Meeting that will restart on 14 January 2025.

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.

Details about the Preliminary Meeting, Compulsory Acquisition, and Issue Specific Hearings can be found in the Notice of Hearings.

Proposed design changes

We have considered stakeholder feedback received immediately prior to submission of the Development Consent Order and since submission through the Relevant Representation process.

Ongoing design work, combined with the feedback received and a firm grid connection offer, has enabled the team to reduce the footprint of the two proposed onshore converter stations and to reduce and even remove aspects of the proposed offshore infrastructure that are no longer required.

Although the changes are broadly beneficial, they are not significant enough to alter the outcomes of all but one of the offshore environmental assessments, where the impact has been reduced. The effects detailed in the Environmental Statement submitted with the original application, therefore, remain largely unchanged.

Non-statutory consultation relating to these changes took place between 15 November 2024 00:00 and 16 December 2024 23:59.

We will evaluate all the feedback we received before submitting formal Requests for Change to the Examining Authority in January 2025.

The interactive map and ‘Story so far’ web pages will be updated with changes that are accepted into the examination process in early 2025.