Pylons: Statutory Consultation for Norwich to Tilbury

Dear Sir / Madam

Statutory Consultation for Norwich to Tilbury: 12:00 noon on Wednesday 10 April 2024 until 11:59pm on Tuesday 18 June 2024

Section 42 Planning Act 2008 (as amended): Duty to consult on a proposed application.

The Infrastructure Planning (Applications and Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 (as amended) (the “APFP Regulations”)

Notification under Regulation 13 of the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (as amended) (the “EIA Regulations”)

National Grid Electricity Transmission plc (“National Grid”) writes in relation to the launch of a statutory consultation in accordance with sections 42, 44, 47 and 48 of the Planning Act 2008 (the “Act”) for the project called Norwich to Tilbury (“the Project”). The consultation starts at 12:00 noon on Wednesday 10 April 2024 and runs until 11:59pm on Tuesday 18 June 2024.

The Project is a proposal by National Grid to upgrade the electricity transmission system in East Anglia between Norwich and Tilbury. The Project includes a new 400 kilovolt (“kV”) electricity transmission connection of approximately 184 kilometres (“km”) in overall length from Norwich Main Substation and Tilbury Substation via Bramford Substation, comprising:

• approximately 159 km of new overhead line supported on approximately 510 steel lattice pylons (approximately 50 metres (“m”) in height) some of which are gantries (typically up to 15 m in height) within proposed Cable Sealing End (“CSE”) compounds, or existing or proposed substations
• approximately 25 km of 400 kV underground cabling some of which is located through the Dedham Vale National Landscape (formerly known as Dedham Vale AONB)
• six new CSE compounds, each with a permanent access, to connect the overhead lines to the underground cables
• a new 400 kV East Anglia Connection Node (“EACN”) substation, with a new permanent access, on the Tendring Peninsula. This is proposed to be an Air Insulated Switchgear (“AIS”) substation
• substation extension works at the existing Norwich Main, and Bramford substations and works within the existing Tilbury Substation to connect and support operation of the new transmission connection
• temporary works associated with construction of the Project.

An alternative design at the Waveney Valley (referred to as the Waveney Valley Alternative) is also being considered and is the subject of consultation and ongoing assessment. This design alternative, if taken forward, would result in changes those elements of the Project set out below. This would instead comprise:

• installation of approximately 157 km of new 400 kV overhead line.
• installation of approximately 27 km of 400 kV underground cabling (some of which is located through the Dedham Vale National Landscape).
• eight new CSE compounds (each with a permanent access) to connect the overhead lines to the underground cables.

All other works not listed above would be consistent with either alternative.

In other words, the Waveney Valley Alternative, if taken forward and based on the 2024 preferred draft alignment would comprise approximately 2 km less new 400 kV overhead line and approximately an additional 2 km of 400kV underground cabling and two additional new CSE compounds, each with a permanent access, to connect the overhead lines to the underground cables.

Third party utilities diversions and / or modifications would also be required to facilitate the construction of the Project. There would also be land required for mitigation, compensation and enhancement of the environment including Biodiversity Net Gain.

As well as the permanent infrastructure, land would also be required temporarily for construction activities including, for example, working areas for construction equipment and machinery, site offices, welfare, storage and temporary construction access.

Norwich to Tilbury will play a vital role in delivering electricity efficiently, reliably, and safely and will support the UK’s move to reduce carbon emissions and we are committed to working with local communities as we develop our plans.

National Grid expects the Project to be classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (“NSIP”) and to require consent from the Secretary of State for Energy Security & Net Zero via a Development Consent Order (“DCO”). The development consent being sought will include a number of other provisions, including those which authorise the compulsory acquisition of land and rights over land, if necessary, to construct and maintain the Project.

Statutory consultation

The Project is an Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”) development, as defined by the EIA Regulations.  As part of the consultation, we are seeking views on the potential environmental effects of the proposals and if consultees have suggestions for reducing these effects (for example, through mitigation measures). This information is detailed in the Preliminary Environmental Information Report (“PEIR”). An Environmental Statement will be prepared subsequently in accordance with the EIA Regulations and will accompany the application for development consent.

The Project is currently in the pre-application stage of the DCO application process. As such, the Project is consulting on its proposals between 12:00 noon on Wednesday 10 April and 11:59pm on Tuesday 18 June 2024, including with those consultees prescribed under Section 42 of the Act.

Consultation Documents

We are contacting you because you are a prescribed consultee under Section 42(1) of the Act and in accordance with Schedule 1 of the APFP Regulations. This is therefore a formal notice that we are holding a statutory consultation under the Act. 

The Project is an “EIA development” for the purposes of the EIA Regulations. As required by Regulation 13 of the EIA Regulations, we also attach a copy of the newspaper notice which is being published in accordance with Section 48 of the Act.

National Grid (as required by the Act) has prepared a Statement of Community Consultation (“SoCC”) which sets out how National Grid will undertake the statutory consultation for the proposed application with those people living and working in the vicinity of the Project.  The SoCC is available to view on the Project website: http://www.nationalgrid.com/n-t and at the inspection points listed further down in this email.

A copy of the full suite of consultation documents is available to view on the Project website from 12:00 noon on Wednesday 10 April 2024 until 11:59pm on Tuesday 18 June 2024.

These include:  

• Project Background Document
• Feedback questionnaire
• Copy of the newspaper notice published under Section 48 of the Act (as the Project is ‘EIA Development’ for the purposes of the EIA Regulations and as required by Regulation 4 of the APFP Regulations)
• Preliminary Environmental Information Report (“PEIR”) and non-technical summary (“NTS”) of the PEIR
• Project maps/Project area maps showing the extent of the Project
• Statement of Community Consultation (“SoCC”).

Copies of consultation materials and documents can be provided on request by contacting us either by email at contact@n-t.nationalgrid.com or by telephone on 0800 915 2497.

Public information events

During the consultation period a series of face-to-face public information events will be held where you can speak with the Project team.

You can attend any of our events to meet the Project team, ask questions and view more details of the Project:

Printed copies of the consultation materials will be made available at information events for attendees to review. Attendees will also be able to take away copies of the Project Background Document and Feedback questionnaire.

In addition to being available online, the Community Newsletter, Project Background Document, non-technical summary (“NTS”) of the Preliminary Environmental Information Report (“PEIR”), Statement of Community Consultation (“SoCC”) and Feedback questionnaire will be available to view free of charge at the following inspection points in the vicinity of the project throughout the consultation period:

Prior to attending these locations, it is advised opening times are checked.

In addition to the public information events, we will be holding six webinars, where members of the Project team will be available to answer questions. The dates and times of these sessions are as follows:

 * A British Sign Language interpreter will be available.

You can register for a webinar by signing up on our Project website: http://www.nationalgrid.com/n-t.

Responding to the Consultation

Responses to this consultation must be received between 12:00 noon on Wednesday 10 April 2024 and 11:59pm on Tuesday 18 June 2024.

Responses to this consultation can be submitted online at http://www.nationalgrid.com/n-t

Alternatively, you can return a printed copy of the Feedback questionnaire or a free text response via email: contact@n-t.nationalgrid.com or post: FREEPOST N TO T (please write this in capitals, you do not need a stamp).

Requests for paper copies of the technical documents will be reviewed on a case by-case basis. To cover printing costs a reasonable copying charge may apply, to be paid for by the recipient and up-to a maximum value of £500 for the whole suite of consultation documents. Please get in touch with us using the details below if you would like a printed or alternative format copy of materials.

Telephone: 0800 915 2497.

Email: contact@n-t.nationalgrid.com

Following the close of the consultation all feedback will be collated, reviewed and analysed to understand key themes and concerns.  Our proposals will be reviewed and, where practicable, refined in light of feedback.

We may be required to make copies of representations available to the Secretary of State. However, we will request that personal details are not placed on the public record.  Personal details will be held securely in accordance with the relevant data protection legislation and will be used solely in connection with the consultation process and the development of this Project and, except as noted above, will not be disclosed to any third parties.  National Grid’s privacy policy can be found on its website: https://www.nationalgrid.com/privacy-policy.

If you have any questions about the Project, please don’t hesitate to contact us at the above postal or email address.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

Liam Walker

Project Director

Norwich to Tilbury – Section 48 Notice