Duration: 28 days

Upon receipt of the application on (estimated) March 15, 2025, the Planning Inspectorate has 28 calendar days to review its completeness and compliance with legal and procedural standards (e.g., adequacy of consultation, sufficiency of documentation). This assessment focuses solely on procedural validity, not the project’s merits.

Public Involvement: No formal public access to documents or opportunity for comment is available at this stage. The Inspectorate may update its project webpage to confirm receipt of the application.

Outcome: If accepted, the application proceeds to the Pre-Examination Stage. If deemed incomplete, National Grid must revise and resubmit, potentially delaying the process by several weeks or months.