What happens next
Details of the Preliminary Meeting will be announced here shortly.
The Examining Authority will carry out an Initial Assessment of Principal Issues derived from its reading of the application and the Relevant Representations received and set a date for the Preliminary Meeting.
Interested Parties will receive an invitation to the Preliminary Meeting which is to discuss procedural matters only, and is held in public. It is not essential to attend the Preliminary Meeting. Whether or not an Interested Party chooses to attend the Preliminary Meeting, they will still be sent details of how to further take part in the Examination.
The Procedural Decision made after the Preliminary Meeting will be published on our website and will also be available on request from [email protected] and our helpline: 0303 444 5000. Importantly, this Procedural Decision will set the timetable for the Examination. The Examination Timetable will, amongst other things, set deadlines for receipt of detailed Written Representations and for comments on the Relevant Representations made by other Interested Parties.
If you are an Interested Party, either because you are one of the specific bodies cited in s102 of the Planning Act 2008 or have submitted a Relevant Representation, you will receive notifications about the Examination and a copy of the Secretary of State’s decision on the application once that is made.
If you have a legal interest in land affected by a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project and:
- have not been identified by the Applicant; and
- did not register to become an Interested Party;
then you can make a request to the Examining Authority to become an Interested Party under s102A of the Planning Act 2008.
Timeline (12 items)

A document has been appended to the Relevant Representation made by the Environment Agency for the Cottam Solar Project.

An amendment has been made to append a document to the Relevant Representation made by Kexby Parish Council for the Cottam Solar Project.

The Examining Authority has accepted 13 Additional Submissions from the Applicant in response to s51 advice given at the time this Applicant was Accepted for Examination.
A document has been appended to the Relevant Representation made by Patricia Mitchell.
The Examination Library (PDF, 596 KB) has been updated.

The Examining Authority has exercised its discretion to accept Additional Submissions from the following parties:
- The Coal Authority (PDF, 109KB)
- EDF – Thermal Generation Limited (PDF, 349KB)
The Examination Library (PDF, 357KB) will be updated shortly.





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.

This application was received by the Planning Inspectorate on Thursday 12 January 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.
This provision is solely for the purpose of allowing more time to all those who wish to become familiar with the detail of what is being proposed ahead of the Registration and Relevant Representation period without lengthening the overall time required for the application process. There will be no opportunity at this stage to make comments on the application. However, if the application is accepted anyone interested in the application will be able to register and express their views during the Registration and Relevant Representation stage and the subsequent examination.

- Application expected from applicant
- Application received by the Planning Inspectorate