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Norwich to Tilbury – Project Update – October 2024

 
National Grid
Survey update 
Surveys are an important part of our work as we continue to develop our proposals. They help us to understand more about the environment and local aspects that may influence how we design our detailed proposals. The findings of these surveys, along with feedback, helps us to refine our plans. The surveys also inform the Environmental Statement (ES) which is one of the documents we’re required to submit as part of a Development Consent Order (DCO) application.
We are carrying out many different types of surveys, and you may see some of our team working along the proposed route over the coming months. Carrying out surveys does not mean we have started any construction activity. We are still at the development stage of the project and need to apply for planning permission, which we expect will be in Summer 2025. We would not start any construction work until after we have consent.
If you have any questions about the surveys, you can contact us via our telephone helpline and email address.  You can also find up to date information about where we are carrying out surveys on our project website.

How we approach surveying 
We aim to work closely with landowners to agree where and when we need to carry out surveys. Sometimes weather conditions can affect our work, meaning they need to be extended or delayed, and we try to communicate any changes as soon as possible.
Some surveying – such as archaeology or traffic monitoring – is also agreed with the relevant local authority or highways authority. Carrying out surveys is required for all major projects such as ours and there may be locations where other developers are also carrying out similar surveys at the same time.

Environmental surveys 
Environmental surveys generally start at an early stage of project development. The findings inform decisions on the routeing and siting of electricity transmission infrastructure and help us to identify the most appropriate construction methods. They also inform how we might avoid, reduce or mitigate potential construction impacts.
Some examples of environmental surveys we are undertaking include ecology studies and wintering bird surveys.
Family on beach
Ground Investigation surveys  
Ground Investigation (GI) surveys can involve drilling boreholes or excavating trial pits to assess the ground conditions at various sites along the route. This allows us to establish which soils and rock types are present in the area and allows us to monitor the types and quantities of water, gas and vapour which may be in the ground.

We will use the information gathered during these surveys to understand the geology of the area and identify any engineering constraints and environmental considerations that could influence the routeing of the new electricity transmission infrastructure.

After our GI works are completed, the land is returned to its previous use, and we test any collected samples. The data and results then form part of our Environmental Statement (ES) which will be submitted as part of the set of documents that form our DCO application.

GI works for Norwich to Tilbury are being carried out by National Grid’s appointed contractors.

Transport surveys  
We are conducting traffic, transport, and public rights of way surveys along the proposed route. This means you may see some radar and data traffic counting equipment as well as some of our people collecting information. We don’t use these surveys to collect any personal data. 

The results from these surveys help us understand traffic and people movements in the region so we can make better informed decisions on potential impacts our Project may have during construction and operation.

Archaeological surveys  
We need to understand if there is a potential for buried archaeology along the proposed route and we’ve been liaising closely with the relevant local authorities on how we should carry out archaeological surveys.

We began by carrying out geophysical surveys along the route. These surveys have allowed us to create maps of subsurface archaeological features. We are now starting more detailed archaeology surveys which include targeted trial trenching on and around the proposed site for the proposed new substation, as well as along the route.  

Trial trenching involves digging a series of trenches roughly 20 metres long and 1.8 metres wide at carefully selected sites across the length of the route and at the proposed site of the East Anglia Connection Node (EACN) substation on the Tendring Peninsula.

We expect to complete the surveys at the EACN site in early November, depending on progress and ongoing weather conditions. Each trench will be assessed by our survey team and inspected and signed off by representatives of Essex County Council before being filled back in.

Where we can, we will look to keep local communities near these archaeological surveys informed in advance and we’ll do all we can to minimise any disruption as we do our work.
Family on beach
Contact us   
Please get in touch if you have any questions or comments about this survey work or any other elements of our proposals.
Call our Community Helpline: 0800 915 2497 (Lines are open Monday to Friday 9am – 5:30pm)
Email us: contact@n-t.nationalgrid.com
Write to us: FREEPOST N TO T (No stamp or further address details are required)