What happens next
A decision on the application for a Development Consent Order for Internal Power Generation Enhancement for Port Talbot Steelworks was taken on 08 December 2015 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 (42 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 Secretary of State has granted development consent for this application. For further information, please refer to the following documents:
Secretary of State’s decision letter
Development consent order
Planning Inspectorate’s recommendation to the Secretary of State
Notice of the decision by the Secretary of State
Habitats Regulations Assessment


Responses to the request for comments by the Department of Energy and Climate change in their letter dated 29 October 2015 have now been published.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change have granted an extension to the deadline for comments on the application, requested in their letter to the Applicant, Associated British Ports and Natural Resources Wales.
The revised deadline is 23:59 on Wednesday 11 November 2015.

A letter from the Department for Energy and Climate Change to the Applicant, Associated British Ports and Natural Resources Wales requesting comments on the application has been published.
Interested parties are also welcome to respond, the deadline for any responses is 10 November 2015.


The Examining Authority completed its examination of this application at 23:59 on 9 June 2015. The Examining Authority will now report to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on or before 9 September 2015, who are expected to make their decision no later than 9 December 2015.
That decision and the Examining Authority’s report will be published on this website when a decision is made. The Examining Authority wishes to thank all those who participated in the examination.
A number of documents, which were received before the close of examination on Tuesday 9 June 2015, have been accepted by the Examining Authority into the examination and have been published.

The following submissions in response to the ExA’s rule 17 letter dated 20 May 2015 have now been published:


Responses to the Examining Authority’s letter dated 15 May 2015, requesting further information, have been published.
Responses to the Examining Authority’s letter dated 20 May 2015, requesting further information, have been published.
In addition the Applicant has submitted:
– Draft Development Consent Order (Revision 5)
– Comparison version showing changes made between revisions 4 & 5
If you have any comments on these responses, these should be received no later than Friday 5 June 2015.

An additional letter (dated 20 May 2015) containing the Examining Authority’s further written questions has been published.

A letter containing the Examining Authority’s further written questions has been published.

Submissions for Deadline 6 (23 April 2015) have been published. These include:
Written summaries of oral cases put at Issue Specific Hearing
Responses to the Examining Authority’s 2nd written questions
Additional Submissions from the applicant including:
Design Principles Document
High Level Assessment of Major Accident Hazards
Revised Book of Reference
Revised Development Consent Order
The audio recordings from the following hearings have been published:
Issue Specific Hearing on Outstanding Issues, held 15 April 2015
Open Floor Hearing, held 15 April 2015

The Examining Authority’s notice of Second Round of Written Questions and Report on the Implications for European Sites (RIES) has been published
The notice contains links to the following documents:

Submissions received for Deadline 5 (19 March 2015) have been published.
On 19 March a letter giving Notification of additional Hearings was published.

Submissions for Deadline 4 (5 March 2015) have been published. These include:
Written summaries of oral cases put at Issue Specific Hearing

The audio recordings from the following hearings have now been published:
– Open Floor Hearing, held 24 February 2015
– Compulsory Acquisition hearing, held 25 February 2015
– Issue Specific Hearing on Environmental Matters, held 25 February 2015

Submissions received for Deadline 3 have been published.
The following itinerary and agendas have also been published:
Accompanied Site Visit Itinerary
Compulsory Acquisition Hearing and Issue Specific Hearing on environmental matters Agenda

The audio recordings from the Issue Specific Hearing on the draft Development Consent Order, held 12 February 2015, have now been published.

Submissions received for Deadline 2 (5 February 2015) have been published.
Please also note that the agenda for the Issue Specific Hearing on the draft Development Consent Order has been published

A Rule 17 letter, issued by the Examining Authority, requesting further information from the Welsh Government has now been published.

A Rule 17 letter issued by Examining Authority requesting further information from the applicant has now been published.

Please note that the Examining Authority has exercised its discretion and agreed to accept the following as a late submission for Deadline 1 by National Grid Electricity Transmission Plc:
Written Representation by National Grid Electricity Transmission Plc

Submissions received for Deadline 1 (15 January 2015) have been published. These include:
Written representations
Responses to ExA’s first written questions
Local impact reports
Additional representations and submissions
A letter giving Notice of the Hearings and Accompanied Site Visit has been published

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

The audio recording from the Preliminary Meeting held Tuesday 9th December 2014 has now been published.



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.




