Following our first round of public consultation, we will commence the Defined Proposals and Statutory Consultation Stage where the next stage of public consultation will be undertaken, including preliminary environmental information. Feedback from that stage will inform any further work on our proposals prior to submission of the application for a development consent order (DCO). 

• 2023: Project launch 
• 18 January to 13 March 2024: Stage 1 public consultation 
• 2025: Stage 2 public consultation 
• 2027: DCO application submission 
• 2029: Construction starts 
• From 2033: Fully operational

Following our stage 1 public consultation and over the coming months we are:  

• continuing our discussions with landowners and people with an interest in land which interacts with the project  
• briefing local elected representatives 
• working with the local authorities and other stakeholders 
• continuing to refine our proposals in response to your feedback 
• carrying out environmental impact assessment (EIA) work and undertaking surveys along the route  
• providing updates to the local community and to those who have asked to be kept updated on our proposals via a community newsletter 
• continuing to refine our proposals in response to your feedback and presenting our updated plans for the project during our next stage of consultation, planned for 2025.  

Following further development and finalisation of detailed proposals, we will submit our DCO application to the Planning Inspectorate, who will examine our proposals and make a recommendation on the application to the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, who will make the final decision on whether or not to grant consent. We will be preparing a Consultation Report alongside our application, which will show how we have taken your views into consideration.