Examination

Contents

About the examination stage

The examination stage is where the Examining Authority look at the proposed project and ask questions.

The applicant, anyone who is registered to have their say, official bodies and people whose land is directly affected can comment on the proposed development or answer any of the questions at each deadline.

This is usually done in writing. The Examining Authority publish their questions at the times outlined in the examination timetable. The examination may also involve hearings if there are issues that need discussing in detail.

This stage takes up to 6 months.

What happens at the examination stage

The examination stage is where the Examining Authority will consider the proposed development and ask questions.

You can send your comments by filling in the online form in the project section of this website.

Anyone who has difficulty using online services can send us information by email or post. The project information in the project section of this website provides contact details for the project case team.

When you have registered to have your say you can:

• comment on the proposed development
• speak at hearings
• attend an accompanied site inspection

You need to register to have your say for your views to be taken into consideration.

You will be given a reference number once you register. You must use this when submitting comments.

To find out more, check our guide for having your say about a national infrastructure project.

If you have missed the deadline to register

You can look at project information but you cannot submit a comment.

If you have recently gained an interest in land affected by a development

You can contact the project team if the developer did not tell you the application was accepted or you did not register to have your say. The project team will ask the Examining Authority if you can be an Interested Party and have your say.

The project team email address can be found in the contact us section of the project page.

More information

All details about the project including documents, questions, comments and any advice given will be published on the project information page.

You can also read the full set of technical advice pages.

Next Recommendation

Part of The process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs)

1. 1 Pre-application

   This is where the applicant starts to create their application. The applicant is required to consult with people and organisations in the area. They must also create detailed documents about the impact the project could have on the environment.

   It is important to get involved at this stage to influence the application before the applicant sends it to the Planning Inspectorate.

   1. Find out what you can do at this stage and check our detailed guides.

2. 2 Acceptance

   This is when the applicant sends us their application documents. We check if we can accept the application for examination. We have 28 days to make this decision.

   1. How the acceptance stage works and what happens next.

3. 3 Pre-examination

   The Examining Authority is appointed and is made up of one or more inspectors. Anyone who wants to have their say needs to register at this stage.

   The applicant must publish that the application has been accepted by us. They include when and how parties can register to get involved. The time period for registering is set by the applicant but must be no less than 28 days.

   The pre-examination stage usually takes about 3 months.

   1. What happens during the pre-examination stage.

4. 4 Examination

   The Examining Authority will ask questions about the proposed development. The applicant and anyone who has registered to have their say can get involved and submit comments at each deadline in the timetable. You can also attend hearings that may take place. This stage takes up to 6 months.

   1. What happens at the examination stage?

5. 5 Recommendation

   The Examining Authority writes its recommendation report. This must be completed and sent to the relevant Secretary of State within 3 months of the end of examination stage.

   1. Making a recommendation.

6. 6 Decision

   The decision stage is when the relevant Secretary of State then reviews the report and makes the final decision. They have 3 months to make a decision.

   1. Who makes the final decision.

7. 7 What happens after the decision is made

   Once the Secretary of State has made a decision, challenges can be made to the High Court. All procedures must be followed when making a challenge. The High Court will decide if there are grounds for a judicial review.

   This must happen within 6 weeks.

   1. What you can do after the decision has been made.