Investment and growth in Thurrock

National Grid is proposing to construct approximately 180 kilometres of new 400 kilovolt electricity cabling connecting Norwich in Norfolk to Tilbury in Thurrock.

National Grid submitted its application for development consent for the Norwich to Tilbury project to the Planning Inspectorate in August 2025. The application is currently in the pre-examination stage.

For more information about the project, go to the project page on National Grid’s website: Norwich to Tilbury | National Grid. For more information about the application and examination process, go to the Planning Inspectorate’s page: Norwich to Tilbury - Project information.

Main proposals in Thurrock

In Thurrock, the proposals include:
• Installation of new pylons and overhead 400kV cabling.
• Construction of a new substation to the north of Linford.
• Installation of underground cabling near the new substation to replace some existing overhead cabling.
• Modification of a section of existing overhead cabling around Chadwell St Mary and Linford.
• Temporary installation of a separate set of pylons and overhead line at the section that is being modified.

Proposed change in Bulphan

On 12th December 2025, National Grid notified the Planning Inspectorate of a request to change the details of its application, proposing to increase the project’s order limits, east of Bulphan and west of Langdon Hills Golf Club, to facilitate works for the protection of an existing fuel pipeline. Further details and plans of the proposed change can be found in document 9.1 Notification of proposed change to DCO application - Change Request 1 (Bulphan) on the Planning Inspectorate’s website: Norwich to Tilbury - Project information.

National Grid is hosting a public consultation on this change between Monday 19 January and Friday 20 February 2026. If you wish to submit a response to this consultation, you can do so between those dates, before National Grid decides whether to formally submit this change request to the Planning Inspectorate. National Grid will also be hosting a public information event in Bulphan on Wednesday 28 January and an online webinar on Tuesday 3 February for members of the public to speak to their team. Further information on these events, and the link to respond to the consultation, can be found on National Grid’s website: Our proposals | National Grid.

Preliminary meeting and examination hearings

On Tuesday 13 January 2026, the Planning Inspectorate issued the rule 6 letter, inviting interested parties to the preliminary meeting and notifying them of the examination hearings. You can find the letter on the Planning Inspectorate’s webpage for the project: Norwich to Tilbury - Project information.

The preliminary meeting, which will focus on the procedure and timetable to be followed during the examination stage as well as the examining authority’s initial assessment of the principal issues of the proposal, will be held in Ipswich (and virtually) at 10:00 on Tuesday 10 February 2026. Interested parties who wish to speak at this meeting, or attend in person, must register to do so by Tuesday 27 January. Details of how to register can be found in the rule 6 letter. You do not need to register in advance to observe the meeting virtually.

The examination stage will then begin. The hearings relevant to Thurrock that have been scheduled so far are:

• Compulsory Acquisition Hearing 1, Wednesday 11 February 2026
• Open Floor Hearing 2 (Essex), Thursday 12 February 2026
• Issue Specific Hearing 1, Friday 13 February 2026 – relating to matters of scope and principle of the proposed development, alternatives, need and other overarching matters.

To participate in any of these hearings, or to attend them in person, you must register to do so by Tuesday 27 January. Details of how to register can be found in the rule 6 letter. You do not need to register in advance to observe virtually.

Relevant representation

The period for registration as an interested party for the examination closed on Thursday 27 November 2025. The council submitted a representation, in which it explained the main technical issues with the project and stated its objection to the application unless those issues are resolved. The council’s submitted representation can be accessed here:

Full details of all the representations submitted have been published on the Planning Inspectorate’s webpage: Relevant Representations | Norwich to Tilbury.

Public consultation 

National Grid has undertaken a series of statutory and non-statutory public consultations during the pre-submission stage of its application process. The council’s responses to these public consultations are accessible below.

The public consultation period has now closed as National Grid has submitted its application for the project.