Next steps

Our first stage, non-statutory, consultation for EGL 3 and EGL 4 ran from 23 April 2024 to 15 July 2024 and was designed to introduce our proposals and gain early feedback. This consultation related only to the English onshore elements of EGL 3 and EGL 4.

Throughout the non-statutory consultation, we prepared a selection of project documents and held a number of face-to-face and virtual events. More information on this can be found in the Project Background Document, available in our Document library.

Consultation plays an important role in developing our proposals. We have shared our proposals at an early stage so that your feedback, alongside the outcome of our technical assessments and environmental surveys, can help to shape our plans as they evolve and we move towards our second stage, statutory, consultation planned for next year.

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 proposed 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 the outcome of technical and environmental assessments, 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.