National Grid Sea Link – Examination Closed

PLANNING

✅   Public examination closed — 29 April 2026
National Grid Sea Link · EN020026
It's a
Wrap.

The public examination has closed. Deadline 7 is done. Thousands of pages of evidence, hundreds of representations, and months of hearings are now in the hands of the Inspectors. The case has been made. Thank you everyone.

Examination closed · 29 April 2026
Small bird perched on a bare branch at Minster Marshes — a reminder of what this campaign is protecting

All Submissions & Documents

Every representation, report, technical document and Inspector's question submitted throughout the examination is publicly available on the Planning Inspectorate project page.

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What Happens Next

5 May 2026 Examination Closes

Examination Formally Ends

The formal public examination period closes. No new submissions can be accepted after this date. The Inspectors now have everything they need and begin reviewing the full record of evidence.

Early August 2026 Recommendation Report

Examining Authority's Recommendation Report

The Inspectors submit their full report and recommendation to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. The report summarises all evidence heard during the examination and gives a clear recommendation on whether the Development Consent Order (DCO) should be granted or refused.

The report will be published on the official Planning Inspectorate project page for everyone to read.

By November 2026 Final Decision

Secretary of State Makes Final Decision

The Secretary of State reviews the Inspectors' report and all the evidence from the examination, then makes the final decision on whether to grant or refuse the Development Consent Order for the National Grid Sea Link project.

The decision will be published together with a full explanation of the reasons. This is the final government decision on the project.

Once the decision is published, there is a 6-week window during which anyone can apply for a judicial review in the High Court.

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Search All Examination Documents

Search National Grid's official documents or public and organisation representations from across the entire examination. Results link directly to PDFs on the Planning Inspectorate site.

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National Grid Documents
Application documents, technical reports, plans, environmental statements, management plans and change requests submitted by National Grid
Searches documents with prefixes: APP · AS · CR1 · PDA · OD
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Public & Organisation Representations
Submissions from local people, councils, campaign groups, Natural England, statutory bodies and other interested parties at each deadline
Searches documents with prefixes: REP1 · REP2 · REP3 · REP4 · REP5 · REP6 · RR · AoC
💡 Tip: National Grid also submits updated documents at each REP deadline — if you cannot find a document above, try the other search or browse the full document library on the Planning Inspectorate site.
National Grid Sea Link (EN020026) · Planning Inspectorate · Updated 30 April 2026
This is a public summary. Always check the official project page for the latest documents and updates.