The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has granted development consent for the Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm, with the decision made on 17 December 2025 by Minister of State Alan Whitehead on behalf of the Secretary of State. The Planning Inspectorate noted this was the 103rd energy application (of 170 examined) and that the examination was completed within the statutory period set by the Planning Act 2008.
Under the consent, the project may comprise up to 79 wind turbines and associated offshore infrastructure, with a grid connection capacity capped at up to 1.08GW. Works also cover buried export cables, an onshore substation and connection into the National Grid. Five Estuaries is described by government as an extension to the operational Galloper Wind Farm.
The application was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate on 25 March 2024 and accepted for examination on 23 April 2024. Following a six‑month examination in which local authorities, statutory consultees and interested parties could provide evidence, the Examining Authority sent its recommendation to ministers on 18 June 2025.
The Planning Act 2008 requires decisions on Development Consent Order applications within three months of the Examining Authority’s report unless an extension is set. On 11 September 2025 the Secretary of State extended the decision deadline for Five Estuaries from 17 September to 17 December 2025 under section 107 to allow further information to be gathered and consulted upon.
Following publication of the order and decision documents, any legal challenge must be brought by way of judicial review within six weeks. This time limit is set in the Planning Act 2008 provisions governing challenges to DCO decisions.
Project documentation indicates coordinated onshore delivery with a neighbouring scheme, including the option for one project to install additional underground ducts for the other within a shared cable corridor. The applicant’s accepted notice and material from the neighbouring project explain the intention to align landfall, share onshore cable routes and co‑locate substations to reduce local disruption.
Government and local authority material confirm that the scheme is located roughly 37 kilometres off Suffolk at its closest point, makes landfall at Sandy Point between Frinton‑on‑Sea and Holland‑on‑Sea in Essex, and connects inland near Little Bromley to National Grid’s East Anglia Connection Node (part of the Norwich to Tilbury programme).
The Planning Inspectorate has emphasised that local communities, councils and other parties were able to participate throughout the six‑month examination and that all views and evidence were considered before a recommendation was made. The full decision package and examining authority materials are available via the National Infrastructure Planning project page referenced by government.
For delivery, the promoter will now focus on securing a route to market. In the UK, large offshore wind projects typically proceed under the Contracts for Difference regime; government has set out reforms for Allocation Round 7 and confirmed that results for offshore and floating offshore wind will be published on 14 January 2026, alongside Clean Industry Bonus arrangements.