Opportunity for communities to have their say on National Grid proposals for Norwich to Tilbury project

  • National Grid is consulting communities for 10 weeks, between Wednesday 10 April to Tuesday 18 June, on its infrastructure proposals to connect new clean energy sources into the East Anglian electricity network.
     
  • Norwich to Tilbury will enable National Grid to connect the sources of power generated from offshore wind to homes and businesses across Britain, helping to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and bring the cost of energy bills down.
     
  • The project will help the UK achieve its aim of generating 50GW of energy from offshore wind by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. 
     

National Grid is encouraging communities in East Anglia to comment on proposals to upgrade the high voltage power network in England as part of a 10-week consultation process which runs between Wednesday 10 April and Tuesday 18 June. 

The way we use and generate energy is changing and with demand for electricity forecast to double in the coming years, changes need to be made to the network of overhead lines, pylons, cables, and other infrastructure that transports electricity around the country. 

With the expected increase in energy coming ashore from offshore wind in the North Sea, the existing high voltage power network in East Anglia does not have sufficient capacity to connect it to the electricity grid in the coming years and beyond. By developing the Norwich to Tilbury project, National Grid will be able to connect power generated from offshore wind to the many homes and businesses across East Anglia and Britain and help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. In doing so, it will play a key role in providing greater energy security and help to bring the cost of energy bills down. 

National Grid’s plan for a new overhead electricity line between Norwich and Tilbury is one of 17 proposed projects across England and Wales that form The Great Grid Upgrade – the largest overhaul of the electricity grid in generations. 

With more than two years of development, the project team have listened to public feedback from 24 public information events and webinars, across two previous public consultations and collated around 7,000 feedback responses. This consultation is an opportunity for communities to see how the design of the project has progressed in response to that feedback. This includes the preferred draft alignment for the overhead line, an alternative design at Waveney Valley and substation extension works at the existing Norwich Main and Bramford substations and works within the existing Tilbury Substation.

The feedback National Grid receives at this stage of consultation, along with technical assessments and environmental surveys, will inform the development of the project before a DCO application is submitted to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS). If the application is accepted, PINS will appoint an ‘Examining Authority’ to independently review and examine the application, including encouraging the submission of views from communities and other interested parties.

The Examining Authority will then make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, who will decide whether to grant consent for a DCO. 

Liam Walker, Project Director for Norwich to Tilbury, commented: “Our plans are an essential part of The Great Grid Upgrade, the largest overhaul of our energy network in a generation. By developing this project, we will be able to connect new sources of low carbon energy to homes and business across East Anglia and Britain so that everyone has access to cleaner, more affordable electricity.”

Over the ten-week period, members of the public will be able to attend 14 public information events, join webinars and view information at inspection points. 

The following table shows when and where the public information events are being held: 

Date and time    Venue    
Wednesday 24 April 2024, 12pm – 5pm Towngate Theatre, St Martin’s Square, Basildon, Essex 
SS14 1DL 
Thursday 25 April 2024, 2pm – 7pm   The Brentwood Centre, Doddinghurst Road, Pilgrims Hatch, Brentwood, CM15 9NN  
Saturday 27 April 2024, 11am – 4pm   Chelmsford City Racecourse, Chelmsford, CM3 1QP   
Tuesday 30 April 2024, 12pm – 5pm   Gislingham Village Hall, Mill Street, Gislingham, IP23 8JT  
Wednesday 1 May 2024, 11am – 4pm   Copdock Village Hall, Old London Road, Copdock, IP8 3JN   
Friday 3 May 2024, 1pm – 6pm  Needham Market Community Centre, School St, Needham Market, Ipswich IP6 8BB  
Saturday 4 May 2024, 11am – 4pm  Lawford Venture Centre 2000, Bromley Road, Lawford, Manningtree CO11 2JE   
Wednesday 8 May 2024, 4pm – 7pm The Civic Hall, Blackshots Lane, Grays, RM16 2JU    
Thursday 9 May 2024, 1pm – 6pm   Thorpe Hall, Ashwell Thorpe and Fundenhall Community Centre, Muskett Road, Ashwellthorpe, NR16 1FD   
Friday 10 May 2024, 1pm – 6pm   Tibenham Community Hall, Pristow Green Lane, Tibenham, Norwich NR16 1PX  
Tuesday 14 May 2024, 11am – 4pm   Witham Public Hall, Collingwood Road, Witham, CM8 2DY   
Wednesday 15 May 2024, 1pm – 6pm Diss Town Football Club, Diss, IP22 4QP 
Thursday 16 May 2024, 2pm – 7pm   Langham Community Centre, School Road, Langham, Colchester, CO4 5PA   
Friday 17 May 2024, 1pm – 6pm  Great Bromley Village Hall, Parsons Hill, Great Bromley, Colchester, CO7 7JA  


All information about the consultation and how to give feedback can be found on the project website at nationalgrid.com/norwich-to-tilbury from 12pm on Wednesday 10 April.

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