Norwich to Tilbury – May 2025 Project Update

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National Grid community relations team<mail@communications.nationalgrid.com>


We’ve now completed a series of targeted community consultations on potential changes to the project. We’d like to thank everybody that took part and provided feedback. We are now carefully reviewing all your consultation responses. These will help us to refine our proposals ahead of the submission of our Development Consent Order (DCO) application later this year. We will continue to keep you up to date with Norwich to Tilbury, and don’t forget you can still access all consultation materials via the Project website. We are continuing to engage with landowners as we finalise our plans for the project. Our land agents, Fisher German, will be in touch.
We’ve been carrying out assessments to understand if there is any buried archaeology where we are proposing to carry out work. This work includes geophysical surveys to create maps of subsurface archaeological features and trial trenching in some locations.  We’ll be carrying out further surveys over the next six months. The surveys involve digging a series of trenches roughly 20 metres long and 1.8 metres wide at carefully selected sites. Each trench will be assessed by our survey team for any potential buried archaeology and inspected and signed off by representatives from the relevant local authority before being filled back in.

We will notify parish councils and publish more information on our project website to keep local communities informed, and we will work to minimise any disruption as we carry out these important studies.

We are starting to prepare our application for development consent. This will include our Consultation Report which will set out how we have considered the feedback from the summer 2024 statutory consultation along with our targeted consultations. Once submitted, the Planning Inspectorate has up to 28 days to decide whether or not the application meets the standards required to be accepted for examination. If accepted, it will go through a six-month examination period. The Planning Inspectorate will then prepare a report on the application along with their recommendation for the Secretary of State to consider. The Secretary of State has up to three months to make a decision on whether to grant or refuse development consent. The whole process is expected to take around 18 months.You can find out more on our Project website.

Power Cuts – what to do

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UK Power Networks (UKPN) maintains the electricity network in the South East and East of England. In the light of Storm Fionn, due to hit the area this evening, they have re-issued advice to remind its customers about what to do in the event of a power cut.

The electricity network is built to be resilient but extreme weather can damage overhead power lines resulting in some customers losing their electricity supply.  Where this happens UKPN work to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. Their contact centre is there to help customers whose electricity supply might be affected by adverse weather, and UKPN deploy additional engineers to repair the overhead lines and poles as soon as it is safe to work.

Regular updates on the website www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk and social media @UKPowerNetworks throughout periods of windy weather.

If you experiencing a power cut you should:

  • Call 105 to report power cuts and damage to the electricity network, or 0800 3163 105 (from a corded phone or mobile phone if you have no power)
  • Visit www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk for the latest updates
  • Visit www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/powercut and type in your postcode to view the live power cut map
  • Tweet @ukpowernetworks to report a power cuts or to receive updates.

UKPN advise you to stay clear of power lines and report damaged power lines immediately by calling 105 free from a landline or a mobile phone. If you see electricity lines that are down or causing significant risk to the public you should call 999.

UKPN provide extra help to customers on the Priority Service Register during a power cut. Households with older or disabled people, those with children under five, or where someone uses medical or mobility equipment that requires electricity as well as other reasons can join the register. Further information about the Priority Service on the website: ukpowernetworks.co.uk/priority.

If you would like to share information about preparing for the storm or the priority service register on social media you might like to use the following:

  • @UKPowerNetworks has extra staff on hand 24/7 to deal with the impact of storms
  • Call 105 to report a powercut and visit www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/powercut for the latest updates

Do you, or someone you know, need extra support during a power cut? @UKPowerNetworks provides free services to vulnerable customers. Visit ukpowernetworks.co.uk/priority for more information.

Preparing for a power cut

  • Add 105 to the contacts on your mobile phone
  • Keep our Freephone 0800 3163 105 number handy
  • See www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/powercuts for useful videos and advice during a power cut.
  • Locate a torch, check it is working and that you have spare batteries. Take care if using candles.
  • Charge up your mobile phone, and a rechargeable mobile ‘powerbank’ if you have one
  • Use a phone with a cord if you have one, cordless phones don’t work in a power cut
  • Keep fridges and freezers closed, with a blanket over as they will stay cold for many hours
  • Switch off all your electrical equipment, except one light which will let you know when the power comes back on
  • Street lights may also be off so take care if you go out
  • Dress in warm clothes
  • Look out for vulnerable neighbours