Consent Variation Awarded

On 7 February 2025, the UK Planning Inspectorate’s project page for the Sheringham and Dudgeon Extension Projects recorded that the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) had issued both a Decision Letter and an Amendment Order. These documents were issued to make a change that is explicitly described as “not material” to the already made Sheringham Shoal and Dudgeon Extensions Offshore Wind Farm Order 2024. This indicates that DESNZ formally approved a non-material variation to the existing development consent order that covers both the Sheringham Shoal Extension Project and the Dudgeon Extension Project, which share a joint export cable system connecting to the national grid at Norwich Main substation. The Planning Inspectorate lists this as the latest update to the project and notes that the overall application had previously been granted on 17 April 2024, with the projects now in the post-decision stage. Within this context, the February 2025 Decision Letter and Amendment Order represent a regulatory refinement rather than a fundamental change of scope, confirming that the authorities were prepared to adjust the consent on a limited basis without reopening the core approval. For the Dudgeon Extension, this non-material change maintains the project’s consented status while updating the legal order text, and it signals continued regulatory support and active oversight by DESNZ as the project progresses beyond the main consent decision into implementation and potential pre-construction activities.