Ministers have signed off a change to the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck planning order that affects communities around Cottingham and along the cable route from Ulrome. The statutory instrument was made on 20 November 2025 and took effect a day later, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero confirmed.

Dogger Bank’s owners asked for the shift earlier this year so phases A and B can move through the Offshore Transmission Owner sell‑off on different timetables. A Regulation 6 consultation opened in March and ran until 23 May 2025, giving residents and councils a formal window to respond.

The amendment splits legal responsibilities. Bizco 1 is now expressly accountable for Project A and Bizco 4 for Project B, with new powers allowing the Secretary of State to require Bizco 4 to repair, remove and restore any abandoned or removed Project B offshore works. The 2015 order defines Bizco 1 as Doggerbank Project 1 Bizco Limited and Bizco 4 as Doggerbank Project 4 Bizco Limited.

Closer to home, the order fixes an operational noise cap of 35 dB (assessed under BS 4142) at key rural receptors around the converter stations. The named locations are Halfway House, Model Farm, Poplar Farm and Wanlass Farm, and the limit applies to each station as well as their combined effect.

Testing hours are tightened. All standby generator testing tied to the Project B onshore works must sit between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Saturday, with no testing on Sundays or bank holidays unless the planning authority agrees in writing.

Light spill must be designed out from the start. Project B cannot be brought into operation until a lighting management and mitigation plan is approved following consultation with the statutory nature conservation body, and that plan must be kept in place during operation.

Security and appearance are dealt with upfront. Permanent fencing for the Project A and Project B converter stations has to be completed before any element is brought into use. For the shared substation works (Work No. 7), fencing must be in before either project’s onshore works are used.

Where TV or telecoms interference arises during operation, Bizco 1 and Bizco 4 must submit and deliver rectification schemes approved by the council, covering both their own onshore works and any shared works.

At end of life, each project company must file a demolition and removal plan for its onshore assets and any shared works no longer needed by the other phase, with the final land condition and timetable agreed with the planning authority.

The basics remain the same: power from Dogger Bank A and B makes landfall north of Ulrome before travelling around 30km underground to two converter stations near Cottingham, then into National Grid at the Creyke Beck substation. The joint venture behind the scheme is SSE Renewables, Equinor and Vårgrønn.

Residents and suppliers can track future documents on the Planning Inspectorate’s project page for EN010021, which carries official updates and contacts.