Trisha's Blog ISG 20 (July 2026) Seeing delivery in action

Our latest ISG meeting took us to the Tilbury Grain Kingsnorth Reinforcement project where members were able to see first-hand the scale and complexity of the work involved in strengthening the network for the future. We looked at the tunnelling work being undertaken as the existing tunnel under the Thames between Tilbury in Essex and Gravesend in Kent needs replacing.

A particular highlight was meeting the people delivering the project. Thank you to everyone at the Tilbury site for your warm welcome and openness. The pride people take in their work was clear to see throughout the visit.

ISG members saw the strong focus on safety, particularly relating to those teams working in close proximity to the tunnel boring machine.   The collaboration needed to deliver a project of this scale was also obvious and it was good to hear about innovative cooperation with the project’s close neighbours to support local biodiversity and strong links to the local suppliers. 

The ISG also discussed Load Reopeners  and where independent challenge can add the greatest value. The visit provided a useful reminder of the wide range of stakeholders involved in major infrastructure projects and the importance of demonstrating how stakeholder views, evidence and trade-offs have informed decision-making, particularly at the earlier stages of project development. 

We then reviewed emerging proposals for RIIO-T3 performance reporting. Members supported the direction of travel while highlighting the importance of providing a clearer picture of future performance, delivery confidence and progress against commitments made to consumers and stakeholders. Seeing progress at Tilbury helped bring that reporting to life by connecting the outcomes that matter to consumers and stakeholders with delivery on the ground.

Trisha McAuley
Independent Chair