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All project updates

13 March 2024

The Examining Authority's notification of the completion of the Examination (PDF, 134KB) has been published.

The Deadline 10 submissions have been published.

The Examination Library (PDF, 848KB) has been updated.

28 February 2024

The Examining Authority has exercised its discretion to accept the following Additional Submission:

The Examining Authority has also issued a Rule 17 letter, requesting for further information from the following parties:

The Examination Library (PDF, 843KB) has been updated.

27 February 2024

The Deadline 9 submissions have been published.

The Examination Library (PDF, 843KB) has been updated.

14 February 2024

The Deadline 8 submissions have been published.

The Examination Library (PDF, 784KB) has been updated.

22 January 2024

11 January 2024

The Examining Authority has exercised its discretion to accept the following Additional Submission:

The Examination Library (PDF, 702 KB) has been updated.

22 December 2023

The Deadline 6 submissions (PDF, 350KB) have been published.

The Examination Library (PDF, 702KB) has been updated.

22 December 2023

The Examining Authority has published the following document:

The Examination Library (PDF, 1 MB) has been updated.

15 December 2023

The recordings and transcripts of the Compulsory Acquisition Hearing (CAH2), Issue Specific Hearing (ISH) 5 and ISH6 have been published.

Action Points (PDF, 148 KB) for ISH5 have also been published.

The Examination Library (PDF, 655 KB) has been updated.

11 December 2023

Joining Instructions for attendance at the Compulsory Acquisition Hearing 2, Issue Specific Hearing 5 and Issue Specific Hearing 6 have been issued to those who registered in response to the Rule 13 letter dated 13 November 2023.

A livestream of these hearings will be available at https://www.liveeventstream.online/planning-inspectorate-hearings/bramford-to-twinstead during each event. Please note that the event will start broadcasting LIVE when opened by the Examining Authority. If the Livestream does not initially work, it may be resolved by refreshing the webpage.

6 December 2023

The Deadline 5 submissions have been published.

The Examination Library (PDF, 648 KB) has been updated.

5 December 2023

The Examining Authority has published the following documents:

The Examination Library (PDF, 618 KB) has been updated.

24 November 2023

The Examining Authority has exercised its discretion to accept the following Additional Submission:

The Examination Library (PDF, 617KB) has been updated.

23 November 2023

Deadline 4 submissions from Nick Miller (PDF, 96KB) and Alan Hall (PDF, 412KB) have now been published. These were not published with the rest of the Deadline 4 Submissions due to a technical error which has now been fixed.


The Examination Library (PDF, 617KB) has been updated.

21 November 2023

The Deadline 4 submissions have been published

The Examination Library (PDF, 615KB) has been updated.

13 November 2023

The Examining Authority has exercised its discretion to accept the following Additional Submission:

The recordings and transcripts of the Compulsory Acquisition Hearing (CAH1), Issue Specific Hearing (ISH) 2, ISH3 and ISH4 have been published.

Action Points (PDF, 159 KB) for CAH1, ISH2, ISH3 and ISH4 have also been published.

The Examination Library (PDF, 570 KB) has been updated.

13 November 2023

The Examining Authority's (ExA) Rule 13 letter (PDF, 148 KB), providing information regarding the notification of Hearings w/c 11 December 2023 has been published.

The Examination Library (PDF, 566 KB) has been updated

6 November 2023

Joining Instructions for attendance at the Compulsory Acquisition Hearing 1, Issue Specific Hearing 2, Issue Specific Hearing 3, and Issue Specific Hearing 4 have been issued to those who registered in response to the Rule 13 letter dated 6 October 2023.

A livestream of these hearings will be available at https://www.liveeventstream.online/planning-inspectorate-hearings/bramford-to-twinstead during each event. Please note that the event will start broadcasting LIVE when opened by the Examining Authority. If the Livestream does not initially work, it may be resolved by refreshing the webpage.

6 November 2023

The Examining Authority has exercised its discretion to accept the following Additional Submission:

The Examination Library (PDF, 563 KB) has been updated.

2 November 2023

The Deadline 3 submissions have been published.

The Examination Library (PDF, 553 KB) has been updated.

27 October 2023

The Examining Authority has published the following documents:

The Examination Library (PDF, 491 KB) has been updated.

26 October 2023

The Examining Authority (ExA) has exercised its discretion to accept the following Additional Submission:

The following document has also been published:

We have recently been informed that a Deadline 1 submission from Babergh District Council (PDF, 27 KB) was inadvertently omitted from publishing on 27 September 2023. The Applicant's Errata Sheet (PDF, 1224 KB), submitted at Deadline 2 was also inadvertently omitted from publishing on 13 October 2023. These have now been published.

Comments on the Local Impact Report (LIR) are due at Deadline 3 (D3) on 31 October 2023. In fairness to all parties, the ExA will allow comments on these specific omitted documents to be received after Deadline 3, but no later than Deadline 4 (16 November 2023).

The Examination Library (PDF, 489 KB) has been updated.

25 October 2023

The Examining Authority (ExA) has exercised its discretion to accept the following Additional Submission:

We have recently been informed that a Deadline 1 submission from Babergh District Council (PDF, 27 KB) was inadvertently omitted from publishing on 27 September 2023. This has now been published.

Comments on the Local Impact Report (LIR) are due at Deadline 3 (D3) on 31 October 2023. In fairness to all parties, the ExA will allow comments on these specific omitted documents to be received after Deadline 3, but no later than Deadline 4 (16 November 2023).

17 October 2023

6 October 2023

The Examining Authority’s (ExA) Rules 13 and 16 letter (PDF, 179 KB), providing information regarding the notification of Hearings and Accompanied Site Inspection w/c 6 November 2023 has been published.

The Examination Library (PDF, 437 KB) has been updated.

28 September 2023

The Deadline 1 Submissions have been published and the Examination Library (PDF, 436KB) has been updated.

25 September 2023

Further to previous notification, the Make a submission portal is now live again. Parties are reminded to use this when submitting their Deadline 1 submissions.

25 September 2023

It has been brought to our attention that the 'Make a submission' portal is experiencing a technical difficulty.

If the issue persists, please submit any Deadline 1 submission to the project mailbox (bramfordtotwinstead@planninginspectorate.gov.uk) by 23:59 tonight (Monday, 25 September 2023).

We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.

19 September 2023

The following documents have been published:

The Examination Library (PDF, 371KB) has been updated.

19 September 2023

The Examination Timetable (Rule 8 letter) has been sent to Interested Parties.

Procedural decision following Preliminary Meeting.

18 September 2023

The Examining Authority has published the following documents:

The Examination Library (PDF, 379 KB) has been updated.

15 September 2023

The recordings and transcripts of the Issue Specific Hearing 1 have been published.

The Examination Library (PDF, 378 KB) has been updated.

14 September 2023

The recordings and transcripts of the Preliminary Hearing and Open Floor Hearing 2 have been published.

The Examination Library (PDF, 368 KB) has been updated.

12 September 2023

Joining Instructions for attendance at the Preliminary Meeting, Open Floor Hearing 2 and Issue Specific Hearing 1 have been issued to those who registered at Procedural Deadline A (22 August 2023).

A livestream of these hearings will be available at https://www.liveeventstream.online/planning-inspectorate-hearings/bramford-to-twinstead during each event. Please note that the event will start broadcasting LIVE when opened by the Examining Authority. If the Livestream does not initially work, it may be resolved by refreshing the webpage.

12 September 2023

Preliminary Meeting takes place

12 September 2023

Examination begins

30 August 2023

The Examining Authority has published the following documents:

Open Floor Hearing 2 (OFH2) agenda (PDF, 69KB); and

Issue Specific Hearing 1 (ISH1) agenda (PDF, 137KB).

The Examination Library (PDF, 368KB) has been updated.

29 August 2023

Please note that the date reserved for Open Floor Hearing 1 in the draft Examination Timetable is no longer required and the event has now been cancelled:

  • 12 September 2023 – Open Floor Hearing 1 (OFH1) held at the Sir Bobby Robson Suite, Ipswich Town Football Club, Portman Road, Ipswich IP1 2DA and on Microsoft Teams.


Open Floor Hearing 2 (OFH2) held at the Stoke by Nayland Resort, Keepers Lane, Leavenheath, Colchester, Essex, CO6 4PZ and on Microsoft Teams will still take place, subject to the outcome of the Preliminary Meeting. It is scheduled to start at 18:30 on 13 September 2023.

25 August 2023

The submissions for Procedural Deadline A have now been published.

The Examination Library (PDF, 285KB) has been updated.

9 August 2023

It has been brought to our attention that the link to the Rule 6 letter in the previous email notification was broken.

The Rule 6 letter is available here. (PDF, 313KB)

7 August 2023

The notification of Preliminary Meeting (Rule 6 letter) has been sent.

The letter also includes the draft Examination Timetable and Initial Assessment of Principal Issues.

2 August 2023

The Examining Authority has exercised its discretion to accept the following Additional Submission:

The Examination Library (PDF, 280 KB) has been updated.

26 July 2023

The Examining Authority has exercised its discretion to accept the following Additional Submission:

The Examination Library (PDF, 277 KB) has been updated.

25 July 2023

24 July 2023

Relevant representations published on the website

19 July 2023

The Examining Authority (ExA) has exercised its discretion to accept the following Additional Submission:

The Examination Library (PDF, 201 KB) has been updated.

18 July 2023

Registration of interested parties closes

6 June 2023

Registration of interested parties begins

25 May 2023

The Applicant has submitted the following Additional Submission:

A decision on whether to accept the document into the Examination will be made once the Examining Authority has been appointed.

The Examination Library (PDF, 190KB) has been updated.

23 May 2023

The application has been accepted for examination

17 May 2023

The application documents have been published.

The documents have been published to help you become familiar with the proposal. There is no opportunity to make comments on the application at this stage.

If the application is accepted you will be able to register and express your views during the Registration and Relevant Representation stage and the subsequent Examination. Further detail on this process is provided in Advice Note 8.2.

28 April 2023

This application was received by the Planning Inspectorate on 27 April 2023.

The applicant has agreed that all application documents can be published as soon as practicable to help everyone become familiar with the detail of what is being proposed in this application. The Planning Inspectorate will therefore make the application documents available as soon as practicable.

27 April 2023

Application received by the Planning Inspectorate

14 November 2013

Project temporarily on hold
The Bramford-Twinstead connection project has been put temporarily on hold until a later date.

The proposed 400,000 volt electricity connection between Bramford, near Ipswich, and Twinstead in Essex is now needed later than originally planned following updated information from power generation companies.

National Grid has assessed the latest information from companies proposing to build new power generation around the East Anglia region, including data about when they would like to start producing electricity. This shows the connection is now expected to be required in the early 2020s rather than 2017.
National Grid’s assessment confirms that the proposed 400,000 volt overhead line and underground cable will still be needed to connect new sources of power, including low carbon electricity, to replace old coal and nuclear power stations that are closing.

The company had been planning next year to carry out further public consultation and apply for a development consent order to build the Bramford-Twinstead connection with the aim, had permission been granted, of constructing the connection by 2017. Public consultation and the application will now take place nearer to the time when the connection is needed.

National Grid has published the Bramford-Twinstead Need Case 2013 which explains the changes to proposed power generation projects. This can be found on the [ipc_link path="https://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/electricity/MajorProjects/BramfordTwinstead"]project website[/ipc_link].