The UK Planning Inspectorate has accepted Forewind’s application for development consent for the first stage of the company’s offshore wind energy development on the Dogger Bank Zone in the North Sea.
The application for Dogger Bank Creyke Beck concerns two offshore wind farms with a total capacity of up to 2.4GW and was submitted by the company for consideration in August this year following three years of surveys and research, reporting and stakeholder engagement activity. The Planning Inspectorate will now begin a pre-examination phase that will be followed by a formal examination process, which in total will take around 10 months to complete. It will then submit a recommendation to the Secretary of State who will make the final consent decision.
The acceptance of the application is the culmination of the most extensive offshore survey programme ever undertaken in the UK according to Forewind General Manager Dr Lee Clarke. It is also one of the most comprehensive and thorough environmental impact assessments to date.
“This has only been possible through close collaboration between the project partners, suppliers and contractors, and positive dialogue with the many and varied stakeholders,” Dr Clarke said. “We look forward to continued engagement with them and with the Planning Inspectorate in the coming phase to ensure a positive outcome, with the benefits that this will bring in terms of the economy and the generation of renewable energy.”
Anyone wishing to comment on the application can register as an interested party with the Planning Inspectorate and copies of the full applications will be made available for review in local communities such as Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire. They will also be available through the Forewind website.
Two more development stages will follow Dogger Bank Creyke Beck, specifically Dogger Bank Teesside A & B and Dogger Bank Teesside C & D. Both these developments will also comprise 1.2GW offshore wind farms and will connect into the national grid in Redcar and Cleveland. The second and final stage of consultation for Dogger Bank Teesside A & B take place in November.
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