Here you’ll find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the Norwich to Tilbury project.
We’ll update these as our work progresses and we hope they answer your questions about this project.
Application for Development Consent Order
Projects proposing more than 2 kilometres (km) of overhead line are classified as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) under the Planning Act 2008 and are required to apply for a type of planning consent called a Development Consent Order (DCO).
The DCO application for Norwich to Tilbury was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in August 2025 and accepted for examination on 29 September 2025. The application follows three years of public and stakeholder engagement, design refinements and environmental and land assessments.
The Planning Inspectorate then appointed the Examining Authority who held a six-month examination of our application. The examination closed on 10 August 2026.
You can view the status of our application on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.
The examination closed on 10 August 2026. The Planning Inspectorate now has three months to prepare a report and recommendation for the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, who will decide whether to grant consent for the project. The Secretary of State is expected to make a decision within three months of receiving the recommendation. This decision is likely to be announced by February 2027.
If we are granted consent, we will start making plans to build the project. We will keep local communities informed and let them know before any work starts in their area.
To watch a video on how Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects are refused or approved, click here.
You can view our application documents and documents submitted during the examination on the Planning Inspectorate’s website. This includes a Consultation Report providing responses to the feedback submitted during the 2024 statutory consultation and the targeted consultations earlier this year.
Our interactive map shows the route included in our DCO application
The Planning Inspectorate’s website will continue to be updated with the latest information on the application. The project website will also be updated at key milestones and includes more detail on our proposals.
You can also sign up on the Planning Inspectorate’s website to be kept informed on the latest information on the application.
National Grid has carried out multiple rounds of consultation since 2022, considering feedback and refining our proposals at each stage. All feedback received at each stage of consultation has been considered by the Project team and, where appropriate, we have amended our proposals in response.
We have responded to the feedback from our 2024 statutory consultation and 2025 targeted consultations in the Consultation Report which was submitted as part of the project's Development Consent Order (DCO) application.
The feedback reports from all our public consultations have been included with our DCO application, which was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.
We have responded to the feedback from our 2026 targeted consultations in the Proposed Change Application Consultation Reports submitted to the Planning Inspectorate as part of our Proposed Change Applications.
General Information
National Grid sits at the heart of Britain’s energy system, connecting millions of people and businesses to the energy they use every day. We bring energy to life – in the heat, light and power we bring to our customers’ homes and businesses; in the way that we support our communities and help them to grow; and in the way we show up in the world. It's our vision to be at the heart of a clean, fair and affordable energy future.
We are working to build a cleaner, fairer, and more affordable energy system that serves everyone – powering the future of our homes, transport and industry. We believe by acting now, the UK can become the world’s first major clean economy, creating growth and jobs for communities across Britain.
National Grid is a group of companies, and one of those companies, National Grid Electricity Transmission, owns, builds and maintains the network in England and Wales. It's National Grid Electricity Transmission that's developing plans for the Norwich to Tilbury upgrade.
National Grid Group is made up of several separate companies, each with different responsibilities and roles. More information about National Grid can be found on the about us section of National Grid’s website.
National Grid Electricity Transmission owns, builds and maintains the high-voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales. This network operates primarily at 400 kilovolts (kV) and 275 kV.
It's National Grid Electricity Transmission that is developing plans for the Norwich to Tilbury reinforcement and is the electricity transmission arm within National Grid.
The Great Grid Upgrade is the largest overhaul of the electricity grid in generations. Our infrastructure projects across England and Wales are helping to connect more clean, affordable energy to your homes and businesses.
The Great Grid Upgrade comprises 17 major infrastructure projects that will both scale up the grid and update our existing networks. It will enable us to carry more clean, secure energy from where it’s generated – like out in the North Sea by wind turbines – to where you need it, boosting energy security and helping the nation become more self-sufficient.
Find out more about The Great Grid Upgrade.
About the project
Norwich to Tilbury is a proposed new 400 kilovolt electricity transmission connection for approximately 180 kilometres in overall length from Norwich Main Substation via Bramford Substation, a new East Anglia Connection Node (EACN) substation and a new Tilbury North Substation.
It is a key part of the Great Grid Upgrade, the largest overhaul of the electricity grid in generations. It will enable us to carry more clean, secure energy from where it is generated to where it is needed, boosting energy security and helping the nation become more self-sufficient.
Our proposals are part of The Great Grid Upgrade – the largest overhaul of the electricity grid in generations.
As part of The Great Grid Upgrade, we are investing in new projects, including Norwich to Tilbury, to connect more home-grown, renewable energy from where it is generated to where it is needed, boosting Britain’s energy security.
Norwich to Tilbury will transport more power across Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. With demand expected to double by 2050, the Norwich to Tilbury upgrade will provide enough electricity to power up to six million homes and businesses and support economic growth across East Anglia and beyond.
Most of the existing network in East Anglia was built in the 1960s and while it has been successful in meeting demand to date, achieving government targets for renewable and low-carbon energy requires a significant overhaul and upgrade of the electricity transmission network.
We have already carried out work to reinforce and upgrade the existing network in East Anglia, but even with these upgrades, the network will not be sufficient for the amount of new electricity connecting to it.
Norwich to Tilbury will provide power to East Anglia and the whole of the UK. Our proposals will help to ensure that new sources of home-grown energy being generated offshore can be connected to the grid network as efficiently as possible.
We are not carrying out any construction work on Norwich to Tilbury. Before we start any construction, we need planning permission.
The examination of our Development Consent Order application has now closed, and the Planning Inspectorate is preparing its report and recommendation to the Secretary of State. A decision is expected in early 2027. If we receive consent, we would expect to begin building the project in 2027.
You may still see some ground investigation works and other surveys along the route. These have been agreed with the local authority and/or landowners along the route. You can find out what surveys are happening along the route on our Landowners and Surveys webpage.
We are also preparing some separate applications to local planning authorities for early enabling works in localised areas, which we would carry out in early 2027 if we receive permission. These would not involve building pylons or laying underground cable. More information on our enabling works applications can be found here.
The Electricity Transmission part of your bill, which is subject to approval by the energy regulator, Ofgem, covers the cost of building and maintaining the network. Our transmission network cost in 2025/2026 is £24.00 of the average annual household bill. You can find out more about how much of your electricity bill goes towards the cost of running and developing the network, here.
For most of the route, we’re proposing to use standard lattice pylons. This is the most common pylon design across the electricity network and would typically be around 50 m tall for a 400 kV connection. The existing 400 kV pylons running from Bramford to Norwich are a similar type to the pylons proposed for Norwich to Tilbury.
In two locations, between Little and Great Waltham and near Thurrock Airfield, we’re proposing to use lower height lattice pylons. These are typically around 37 m tall, with a maximum width of 32 m.
You can watch a video to find out more about how the pylon construction process, here.
Offshore wind is a big part of the UK’s affordable energy future, but there’s no way to keep everything offshore. At some point, the power has to come on shore.
When planning this project, we looked carefully at all the options, including an offshore alternative using high voltage direct current (HVDC) cables. To achieve the necessary amount of power for the Project, we would need to build three subsea cables, as well as additional infrastructure on land, including a converter station at the end of each cable. That would add significant costs for consumers and wouldn’t meet the requirements placed on us. Offshore cables also come with environmental impacts both at land and sea which we need to consider.
After weighing up all these factors, the most practical and responsible solution is an onshore connection. This approach keeps energy affordable, protects the environment as much as possible, and ensures we can deliver the reliable network the region needs.
We understand that underground cables can seem like an appealing option, but they aren’t practical for the entire route. Government guidance in the UK is clear that new electricity connections should normally use overhead lines, and there are good reasons for this.
Underground cables are far more expensive, and those extra costs would ultimately be passed on through everyone’s energy bills. They are also much more complex to install and can cause significant environmental disruption.
That said, we are using underground cables in Dedham Vale to minimise visual impacts. We are working on detailed construction plans to ensure we protect the landscape while we work on their installation.
HM Treasury’s Green Book provides guidance on the appraisal of public policies, programmes, and projects to ensure effective use of public funds. This means the Green Book doesn’t directly apply to us. However, Green Book principles inform the wider framework we operate in, including the processes overseen by Ofgem, and therefore influence how DCO applications such as Norwich to Tilbury are developed.
National Grid’s appraisal approach is aligned with Ofgem’s requirements on funding and regulation, and is designed to meet the economic, social, and environmental goals set out in the National Policy Statements. As the project develops, core appraisal principles are applied to ensure decisions deliver value for money, efficiency, and proportionate outcomes.
National Grid is confident that the way it assesses projects and makes decisions is robust, fair, and appropriate. This approach has been tried and tested through previous projects, formal examination, and ultimately supported by decisions taken by the relevant Secretary of State.
Property values are influenced by many different factors. We recognise that some people may be concerned that views of new infrastructure could affect property values. However, there is no reliable evidence that visual impacts from projects like Norwich to Tilbury directly reduce house values.
Where a property owner is not directly affected by the Project, UK law does not provide compensation for a perceived fall in property value due to concerns about proximity or changes to a view.
Where land or rights are acquired under a Development Consent Order, and the remaining property is directly affected by the project, landowners may be able to claim compensation under the Compulsory Purchase Compensation Code.
UK law does not prescribe any minimum distance between overhead lines and homes. However, through National Grid’s process of planning and routing, we have aimed to reduce, as far as possible, the impact that our proposals will have on residential communities and properties through maximising the distance between proposed new overhead infrastructure and properties.
We believe that communities which host new electricity infrastructure should benefit from doing so, and this is why we want Norwich to Tilbury to deliver meaningful and long-lasting benefits for local communities and the wider area.
If Norwich to Tilbury is granted planning consent, a dedicated Community Fund of over £30 million will be unlocked when we start construction. In July 2026, we opened a consultation on how the Community Fund should work. Visit our Community Fund hub to find out more and get involved.
The government has also announced plans for an electricity bill discount scheme for households within 500 metres of new infrastructure. The government’s proposals are still at an early stage, and we’ll continue to work with the government as more details become available.
We welcome NESO’s recent Clean Power 2030, which sets out what is needed to meet the UK’s ambitious low carbon energy goals by 2030. The report supports our own assessments which show that Norwich to Tilbury is a vital part of the infrastructure needed for 2030 to deliver more low-carbon energy in a way that is cost effective for the consumer. As a result, we are continuing to progress with our proposals for Norwich to Tilbury.
Enabling works
To support the phasing of construction, we will be submitting separate planning applications to local planning authorities for some small, localised enabling works. This is a normal approach for many major infrastructure projects.
Early enabling works are smaller pieces of work that help prepare for main construction. This can include site access, vegetation clearance or utility works. They are designed to help deliver the main project more efficiently if consent is granted.
We previously consulted on these works while we developed our proposals for the Norwich to Tilbury project. No new or additional works are proposed beyond those set out in the DCO application but as we are proposing to carry these out in advance of main construction, we are seeking separate approval.
If we receive permission, we would carry out these enabling works in early 2027. This would allow us to undertake any necessary vegetation clearance outside of the nesting bird season (March to August).
The applications for enabling works include plans to reinstate any works carried out if the main project should not receive consent.
Surveys
Throughout the development of the project, we have carried out a range of surveys to help inform our proposals and the assessments submitted as part of the planning application.
While examination has now closed, we are continuing surveys to help us refine the detailed design of the project and plan for construction.
We're carrying out a range of surveys along the proposed route. This includes conducting traffic, transport, and public rights of way surveys along the proposed route. This means you may see some radar and data traffic counting equipment as well as some of our people collecting information. We don't use these surveys to collect any personal data.
Some ecological and environmental surveys can only be carried out at specific times of the year. For example, wintering bird surveys are usually carried out between November to February, as they determine the species and numbers of birds which migrate over this season.
You can find out what surveys are currently happening in your area here.
Our surveying involves the drilling of boreholes or the excavation of trial pits in order to assess ground conditions in some areas of the route. These types of surveys are called Ground Investigation (GI) works and are used to determine which soils and rocks are present in the area. They are also used to monitor the types and quantities of water, gas and vapour, which may be present in the ground.
GI works for Norwich to Tilbury are undertaken by National Grid’s appointed contractors. The information gathered during these surveys helps us understand ground conditions, engineering constraints and environmental considerations, and supports the detailed design and planning of works if consent is granted.
National Grid tries to reach voluntary agreement to access the land for surveys whenever possible.
If agreement to access land for surveying cannot be reached voluntarily, Section 172 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 authorises National Grid as an acquiring authority. It allows entry to survey land where there is a proposal to acquire an interest in or right over land.
We’ve also notified local authorities where work is taking place. Although we don’t need planning permission for this work, we believe it’s right to notify the local authority.
Allowing National Grid access to land for surveys does not affect your right to comment on the project or make representations at any time.
We recognise the potential for land damage and disturbance that may be caused by carrying out surveys and site investigations and will make advance compensation payments to landowners for a set period of time. Further information on payments that will be made on survey access is available within our Payments schedule for new electricity transmission assets.
National Grid will work with you and/or your agent to reach an agreement to carry out surveys. We endeavour to reach all agreements voluntarily.
Where an agreement in relation to taking access to land for engineering, ecological and environmental surveys cannot be reached voluntarily, Section 172 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 authorises National Grid as an acquiring authority. It allows entry to survey or value land where there is a proposal to acquire an interest in or right over land.
Access and agreements
National Grid will look to agree easements (permanent agreement to install, use and maintain equipment and assets) with all affected landowners, allowing National Grid to install, use and maintain their equipment.
An easement is a legal right in perpetuity, granting National Grid the right to install, use and maintain its equipment. A permanent easement is granted in exchange for a one-off capital payment, also known as a Deed of Grant of Easement.
A Wayleave is a licence granted by the owner and occupier of land giving National Grid the right to install, use and maintain its equipment. Terms of the wayleave agreement provide for the annual rental and compensation payments to be made based on the type and amount of infrastructure on the land, and its land use.
Easement payments vary between types of land and whether the new connection will be an overhead line or underground cables. For more information on both, please read National Grid's Payments schedule for new electricity transmission assets.
An option agreement is a legally binding document used by National Grid to secure land rights. The option will obligate the parties involved to enter into a final form of agreement as long as the relevant terms and conditions of the option agreement are met.
National Grid may have to rely on compulsory purchase powers as a last resort, if voluntary agreements for land rights cannot be reached with landowners. As part of our Development Consent Order (DCO) application, we have applied for compulsory purchase powers. This will ensure that, if the DCO is granted, National Grid will be able to obtain all land rights needed to construct and subsequently operate the new electricity transmission assets.
National Grid acknowledges that any proposed new works may cause concern to landowners. In addition to the other payments outlined, ‘Injurious affection’ and any other appropriate Heads of Claim will be considered on an individual basis in accordance with current legislation.