PUBLIC NOTICE: NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCE OF AN APPLICATION FOR A DEVELOPMENT CONSENT ORDER BY THE PLANNING INSPECTORATE (ON BEHALF OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR BUSINESS ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY) UNDER SECTION 56 OF THE PLANNING ACT 2008
10th October 2022
SHERINGHAM SHOAL OFFSHORE WIND FARM EXTENSION PROJECT AND DUDGEON OFFSHORE WIND FARM EXTENSION PROJECT
REGULATION 9 OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING (APPLICATIONS: PRESCRIBED FORMS AND PROCEDURE) REGULATIONS 2009
REGULATION 16 OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING (ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT) REGULATIONS 2017
Notice is hereby given that the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has accepted an application (“the Application”) by Equinor New Energy Limited of 1 Kingdom Street, London W2 6BD (“ENEL”) on behalf of the partnership companies, Scira Extension Limited and Dudgeon Extension Limited, (“the Applicant”) for a Development Consent Order under the Planning Act 2008. The Application (Reference No. EN010109) was submitted by the Applicant to the Secretary of State c/o the Planning Inspectorate on 5th September 2022 and was accepted on 3rd October 2022.
Summary of the Project
The Application is for development consent to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission two offshore wind farms known as the Sheringham Shoal Extension Project (“SEP”) and the Dudgeon Extension Project (“DEP”), and the associated development to connect each offshore wind farm to the national grid.
SEP and DEP will include both offshore and onshore infrastructure including offshore generating stations, which comprises up to 23 wind turbines and up to 30 wind turbines, located approximately 13.6 km and 24.8 km north of the North Norfolk coast for SEP and DEP, respectively. SEP and DEP are located within the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
SEP and DEP will be connected to shore by offshore export cables installed to the landfall at Weybourne, on the north Norfolk coast. From there, the onshore export cables travel approximately 60km inland to a new high voltage alternating current (HVAC) onshore substation near to the existing Norwich Main substation. The onshore substation will be constructed to accommodate the connection of both SEP and DEP to the transmission grid.
Maps showing the onshore and offshore locations of SEP and DEP form part of the Application (document references 2.1 & 2.2 respectively) and can be viewed on the planning inspectorate’s website under the documents tab:
Development consent is required to the extent that development is or forms part of a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) pursuant to section 14(1)(a) and 15(3) of the Planning Act 2008. As SEP and DEP will each have an overall capacity greater than 100 megawatts (MW), they are both NSIPs for the purposes of the Planning Act 2008. It is for this reason that the Projects fall within the remit of the Secretary of State.
The Development Consent Order would authorise the compulsory acquisition of land, interests in land and rights over land, and the powers to use land permanently and temporarily. The Development Consent Order would also authorise alterations to the public highway network, the construction of temporary and permanent accesses to SEP and DEP, the temporary stopping up or management of the public highway, public rights of way and street works, and the application and/or disapplication of legislation.
Environmental Impact Assessment Development:
The proposed works are an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) development for the purposes of the Infrastructure Planning (EIA) Regulations 2017 and accordingly an Environmental Statement accompanies the application.
Application form and accompanying documents:
The Application form and the accompanying documents, plans and Environmental Statement and Non-Technical Summary (NTS) can be viewed and downloaded free of charge online on the SEP and DEP page of the Planning Inspectorate’s National Infrastructure Planning website under the documents tab:
The documents will be available until at least the end of the relevant representation period on 14 November 2022.
It is intended that, subject to access limitations, the full application will be available at the following Community Access Points from the 13 October 2022:
An electronic copy of the application documents can be supplied free of charge on a USB memory stick, to request a USB email info@sepanddep.co.uk, or write to FREEPOST DUDGEON AND SHERINGHAM EXT or telephone: 0808 1963 673.
The full suite of Application documents can be made available in hard copy format on request at a cost of £9,000. For any bespoke document requests please contact the Applicant using the contact details at the bottom of the notice, who will provide the cost.
Representations:
Any person may register as an Interested Party by submitting a Relevant Representation on the Application during the representation period, which must be made directly to the Planning Inspectorate. Any representations (giving notice of any interest in, or objection to, the application) must be made on the Planning Inspectorate’s Registration and Relevant Representation Form. The Registration and Relevant Representation Form will be made available by the Planning Inspectorate once the registration/ representation period has opened on the relevant page for the Application via the National Infrastructure Planning website: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/eastern/sheringham-and-dudgeon-extension- projects/?ipcsection=overview.
If you would like to request a hard copy of the Planning Inspectorate’s Registration and Relevant Representation Form, please telephone 0303 444 5000. Completed forms should be sent to The Planning Inspectorate, National Infrastructure Directorate, Temple Quay House, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6PN. The Planning Inspectorate reference for the Application (EN010109) should be quoted in any correspondence.
The Planning Inspectorate’s Advice Notice 8.2: How to register to participate in an Examination, provides further guidance on how to register and make a relevant representation (December 2016) and can be accessed via the following link: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/legislation-and-advice/advice-notes/advice-note-8-2-how-to-register-to- participate-in-an-examination/
Please note that representations must be received by the Planning Inspectorate by 11.59pm on 14 November 2022.
In submitting a representation, it should be noted that the personal data and correspondence relating to any representation will be made publicly available. If you do not wish personal data to be made publicly available, you should state why when submitting the representation. The Planning Inspectorate will publish the representations with your name removed, however, the representations may give them less weight during the Examination as a result. Please note that all representations submitted will be published on PINS’ website and will be subject to their privacy policy, found online here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/planning-inspectorate- privacy-notices/customer-privacy- notice.
Further information about the Application may be obtained from the Applicant, through the details provided below:
Email: info@sepanddep.co.uk Freephone: 0808 1963 673
Freepost: FREEPOST DUDGEON AND SHERINGHAM EXT
