National Grid Sea Link – Public Examination Timetable

Document Search & Planning Timetable

Deadline 6 passed on 13 April — Next: Proposed DCO changes published 17 April 2026
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Search Planning Inspectorate Documents

Two search bars below — one for National Grid's official documents, one for public and organisation representations. Type what you are looking for and all relevant documents will appear. Results link to PDFs on the official 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 National Grid document above, try the representations search too, or search the full document library on the Planning Inspectorate site.

Timetable

Passed
Coming next
Upcoming hearings & deadlines
Examination end
10 March 2026 Passed Deadline 5

Written Submissions — Deadline 5

Participants sent written replies to recent Inspector questions, responded to updates, and indicated interest in late-March site visits. Deadline was 23:59 on 10 March.

18 March 2026 Passed Inspector Report

Report on Implications for European Sites (RIES)

The Examining Authority published their Report on the Implications for European Sites (RIES) — a formal part of the Habitats Regulations Assessment process covering potential effects on protected wildlife sites including the Thanet Coast SAC/SPA/Ramsar and Suffolk coastal designations. Parties had until Deadline 6 to respond.

European sites assessed
Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) Special Protection Areas (SPAs) Ramsar wetland sites Candidate & proposed sites
Key sites covered
  • Kent — Pegwell Bay landfall area: Potential impacts on saltmarsh, intertidal habitats, and nearby designations including the Thanet Coast SAC/SPA/Ramsar
  • Suffolk coast & marine route: Ecology along the HVDC cable route, landfall, and converter station locations
Week of 23 March 2026 Passed Public Hearings

Hearings Week — Public Meetings

A series of in-person and hybrid hearings took place at ExCeL London, including the Open Floor Hearing on Monday 24 March and issue-specific sessions through the week covering environment, land acquisition, and planning conditions.

🎬 Recordings & Transcripts Available

Recordings and transcripts from all hearing sessions are published on the official project page under Documents > Examination:
national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN020026

13 April 2026 Passed Deadline 6

Post-Hearings Written Round

Written submissions in response to the March hearings, comments on the RIES nature sites report, answers to any new Inspector questions, and observations on what others said during the hearing sessions. Deadline was 23:59 on 13 April.

17 April 2026 Next Up Legal Order Update

Proposed Changes to the Consent Order

Inspectors publish any suggested amendments to the Development Consent Order (DCO) — the legal document that, if approved, would formally authorise the Sea Link project to proceed. Parties can respond to these changes as part of Deadline 7 (29 April).

29 April 2026 Deadline 7 — Final

Final Written Round

The last major opportunity to submit: statements on outstanding disagreements, final comments on the revised consent order, National Grid's closing statement, and replies to the previous round. Deadline is 23:59 on 29 April.

5 May 2026 Examination Closes

Examination Ends — No Further Comments

After this date no new submissions are accepted. The Inspectors write their recommendation report, which goes to the responsible Government Minister for a final decision on whether to approve the project.

How to Get Involved

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Submit Comments

Use the project's "Have Your Say" page — free, online or by email. The next and final deadline is 29 April 2026 at 23:59.

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Watch Hearing Recordings

Recordings and transcripts from all March 2026 hearing sessions are now available on the project page under Documents > Examination.

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Read the DCO & RIES

The Inspector's RIES report (18 March) and proposed DCO amendments (17 April) are key documents — check the document library for the latest versions.

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Project Website

All documents, updates & deadlines:
Planning Inspectorate – EN020026

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Contact the Case Team

Need help?
[email protected]

National Grid Sea Link (EN020026) · Planning Inspectorate · Information correct as of 14 April 2026
This is a public summary. Always check the official project page for the latest documents and updates.