What happens next
A decision on the application for a Development Consent Order for Thames Tideway Tunnel was taken on 12 September 2014 and has now been issued.
The period for legal challenge is defined in s118 of the Planning Act 2008. Further information about legal challenge can be found in the letter sent to all Interested Parties accompanying the Secretary of State’s decision and statement of reasons.
If you have any queries about the process please email the Planning Inspectorate at [email protected] or telephone the helpline on 0303 444 5000.
Timeline (65 items)

As advised in our Privacy Notice, five years after the Secretary of State’s decision is issued, all remaining published documents associated with an application are removed from the National Infrastructure Planning website, with the exception of the following which are retained in line with our document retention policy:
- The Secretary of State’s decision notice and statement of reasons;
- If made, the Development Consent Order;
- The Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report and associated appendices;
- Any documents relating to material/non-material change applications;
- Any correction notices; and
- All section 51 advice issued in respect of an application.
As such, the purpose of this banner is to highlight that we will shortly remove all documents, except those listed above.

The Secretaries of State have issued a Non Material Change Decision Letter (PDF 240KB) and Amendment Order (PDF 124KB).

Representations received in response to the application for a non-material change to the Thames Tideway Tunnel Development Consent Order have been published.

An application for a non-material change to the Thames Tunnel Development Consent Order has been made by Bazalgette Tunnel Limited.
If you wish to make a representation, this should be emailed to [email protected] The deadline for receipt of representations is 28 June 2020.

The Secretaries of State have issued a Non Material Change Decision Letter and Amendment Order.

The application for a non-material change to realign the main tunnel in the vicinity of the King Edward Memorial Park Foreshore (KEMPF) worksite and to provide consent for the construction of a connection tunnel between the KEMPF CSO drop shaft and the main tunnel has been amended by the Applicant to remove the request for compulsory acquisition powers.

Representations received in response to the application for a non-material change to the Thames Tideway Tunnel Development Consent Order have been published.

An application for a non-material change to the Thames Tunnel Development Consent Order has been made by Bazalgette Tunnel Limited.
If you wish to make a representation, this should be emailed to [email protected] or posted to:
National Infrastructure Planning
Room 3K Kite Wing
Temple Quay House
2 The Square
Temple Quay
Bristol
BS1 6PN
The deadline for receipt of representations is 20 September 2019.

The Secretaries of State have issued a Non Material Change Decision Letter and Amendment Order.

Representations received in response to the application for a non-material change to the Thames Tideway Tunnel Development Consent Order have been published.

An application for a non-material change to the Thames Tunnel Development Consent Order has been made by Bazalgette Tunnel Limited.
If you wish to make a representation, this should be emailed to [email protected] or posted to:
National Infrastructure Planning
Room 3K Kite Wing
Temple Quay House
2 The Square
Temple Quay
Bristol
BS1 6PN
The deadline for receipt of representations is 20 October 2018.

The Marine Management Organisation has published a notice of a variation to the Deemed Marine Licence regarding the Thames Tideway Tunnel.

The Secretaries of State have issued a Non Material Change Decision Letter and Amendment Order.

An application for a non-material change to the Thames Tunnel Development Consent Order has been made by Thames Water.
If you wish to make a representation, this should be emailed to [email protected] or posted to:
Major Applications & Plans
3D Eagle Wing
Temple Quay House
2 The Square
Bristol, BS1 6PN
The deadline for receipt of representations is 5 April 2017.

Following grant of development consent for this application, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has varied the deemed marine licence. Full information, including the varied deemed marine licence, is available on the MMO’s public register.
On 17 March 2015 the Secretaries of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and for Communities and Local Government published a Correction Order (S.I. 2015/723) and Correction Notice to make corrections to The Thames Water Utilities Limited (Thames Tideway Tunnel) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/2384), as published on 12 September 2014.

The Examining Authority has determined an application for an award of costs made by Free Trade Wharf Management Company Limited.

The Secretaries of State have granted development consent for this application. For further information please refer to the following decision documentation:
Decision Documentation
– Secretaries of State Decision Letter and Statement of Reasons
– Development Consent Order as made by the Secretaries of State
Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report
– Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report – Main report
– Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report – Appendix A
– Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report – Appendix B
– Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report – Appendix C
– Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report – Appendix D
– Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report – Appendix E1–E2
– Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report – Appendix E3
– Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report – Appendix E4
– Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report – Appendix E5
– Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report – Appendix E6
– Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report – Appendix F
Other Documentation
– Planning Inspectorate notification of decision letter
– Correspondence received after the close of the examination
– DfT Section 127 decision letter, notice and certificate – Network Rail
– DfT Section 127, Section 138 letter – Transport for London
– DCMS Section 138 consent letter – British Telecommunications
– Defra Section 127 decision letter, notice and certificate – Environment Agency
– DECC Section 138 consent letter – Relevant electricity and gas statutory undertakers
Associated Documentation
– Section 131 and 132 – Inspector’s Report to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
– Section 131 and 132 – Certificate by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
– Section 131 and 132 – Notice by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government


The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has sent letters to Thames Water Utilities Limited and statutory undertakers.

The Department for Transport has sent letters to Thames Water Utilities Limited and Transport for London.

The Examining Authority issued its recommendation to the Secretary of State on 12 June 2014. A decision will be published within 3 months. Please note that the Examining Authority’s recommendation will also be made available at that point.


The Panel has sent a letter to all interested parties, informing them that it completed its examination of the above application at 23.59hrs on 12 March 2014.
The Panel have asked us to thank everyone who has contributed to the examination.

Submissions for the deadline of 11 March 2014, from the applicant and others, have been published.


The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has written to the applicant, declining their request for an extension to the examination.
The Examining authority remains under a duty to complete the examination by the end of Wednesday 12 March 2014.

The Examining Authority have sent a letter amending the timetable, giving notice of a site visit, and making a request for information.

Submissions for the 12 February 2014 deadline have been published.

The Panel have issued a note regarding the date, time and place of the Noise and Vibration and DCO hearings, following adjournment.

A written request has been received from Thames Water Utilities Ltd (the applicant) to extend the time period of the current examination timetable. The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs will jointly consider this request and make a decision in due course.

The submissions made by the applicant and interested parties in respect of the 3rd February deadline in the examination timetable are now published:
– Thames Water and Interested Party submissions in relation to specific hearings

The agenda for the 3rd Issue Specific Hearing relating to the draft Development Consent Order (DCO) and related matters, to be held on 6th and 7th February 2014, has been published.

The agenda for the Issue Specific Hearing on Noise and Vibration to be held on 4th February 2014 is published.

The agenda for the Compulsory Acquisition Hearing on Monday 27 January and Tuesday 28 January 2014 is now published.

The Examining Authority’s Report on the Implications for European Sites has been published. Comments on this report must be received by 12 February 2014.

The applicant has written to the Panel and submitted a Draft River Transport Strategy further to their submissions of 13 January 2014. The Panel have agreed to accept this late submission.

The Agenda for the Traffic and Transport Issue Specific Hearing on 24 January 2014 is now published.

Submissions made in respect of the 13th January deadline in the examination timetable are now published:
Responses to Examining Authority’s Second Written Questions
Statements of Common Ground
Draft DCO (latest version)
Other submissions

An agenda has been published in respect of the second issue specific hearing relating to the rationale for the selection of work sites and tunnel drive strategy matters, being held on 22nd to 23rd January 2014 (inclusive).


Agendas for forthcoming Open Floor, Issue Specific and Compulsory Acquisition hearings have been published.

We have been made aware that some parties may not have had sight of Appendix 3 to the Local Impact Report of the Mayor of London. Any parties who have not seen and wish to make comments on this document should do so by 13 January 2014 making clear that their submission relates to that document.

The Panel has sent a letter giving notice of hearings and a site visit. They have also asked their second written questions – responses to be received by the Examining authority on or before Monday 13 January 2014.
Written summaries of the cases put orally at the hearings held on and between Thursday 28 November and Friday 20 December 2013 have been published.

Comments on Written Representations, and other submissions for the deadline of 2 December 2013, have been published.

Agendas for the first DCO Issue Specific Hearing and Compulsory Acquisition Hearings have been published.

Please be advised that all Written Representations, Local Impact Reports, Statements of Common Ground and responses to the Panel’s First Written Questions are now published.
– Written Representations
– Local Impact Reports and Statements of Common Ground
– Responses to Panel’s First Written Questions

Publication of Agendas for Issue Specific Hearings and Open Floor Hearings:
– Issue Specific Hearings on the rationale for the selection of work sites and drive strategy matters (11 to 15 November inclusive)
– Open Floor Hearings (19 to 23 November inclusive)

We have been notified that the planned industrial action by postal workers on the 4th November 2013 has been cancelled. Please ensure that any postal submissions reach us by the deadlines set.

A relevant representation from Mr David Nicholas Martin Starkie has been published today. The delay in publishing this representation is the result of a technical fault, for which we apologise.
Parties responding to relevant representations should also take this representation fully into account.

The Panel have issued a letter, with notification of the dates, times and places of hearings, and a procedural decision relating to the application to make changes to the application for development consent.
The document referred to in the procedural decision can be found here.
We have been notified about likely industrial action by postal workers on the 4th November 2013. Please be mindful of this and try to ensure that any postal submissions intended for the 4 November deadline are posted in time to avoid the likely disruption to deliveries.

The Examining Authority issued a letter under Rule 8 of the Infrastructure Planning (Examination Procedure) Rules 2010 on 26 September 2013. The letter includes the timetable for the examination. The Examining Authority’s first written questions, and letters of appointment of legal advisors under s101 of the Planning Act 2008, have also been published today.
The Applicant has requested that the Examining Authority consider proposed changes to the application, which have been published on our website; please see the rule 8 letter for more information about how this request will be handled

The Examination Timetable (Rule 8 letter) has been sent to Interested Parties
Procedural decision following Preliminary Meeting

The examination of the Thames Tideway Tunnel application started on the Thursday 12 September 2013 following the close of the Preliminary Meeting. The Panel’s procedural decision, including the examination timetable (Rule 8 letter) will be issued to interested parties on 26 September 2013.
Attention is drawn to Item 2 of the draft examination timetable set out at Annex D of the Rule 4 and 6 letter issued on 25 July 2013.
This contains a list of items that the Panel has requested be submitted to them on or before 23 September 2013.

- Preliminary Meeting takes place
- Examination begins

The Examining Authority issued a letter under Rule 4 and Rule 6 of the Examination Procedure (Infrastructure Planning) Rules 2010 on 25 July 2013.
The Examining Authority has issued an Updated Preliminary Meeting Agenda

The notification of Preliminary Meeting (Rule 6 letter) has been sent Read the letter
The letter also includes the draft Examination Timetable and Initial Assessment of Principal Issues.


The Secretary of State has appointed Jan Bessell, Libby Gawith, Emrys Parry, Andrew Phillipson and David Prentis to examine this application. Interested Parties will be formally notified of the appointment under Rule 4 of The Infrastructure Planning (Examination Procedure) Rules 2010 in July.


The Planning Inspectorate is holding a series of events to help people understand the planning process, when to register and how to make a representation. See the poster for details of locations and dates.


