Public Notice: Vattenfall – Thanet Extension Offshore Wind Farm

VATTENFALL

Section 56 Planning Act 2008
Regulation 9 Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 Regulation 13 of the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2009

NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCE OF APPLICATION FOR A DEVELOPMENT CONSENT ORDER BY THE PLANNING INSPECTORATE

THE PROPOSED THANET EXTENSION OFFSHORE WIND FARM (Application Reference EN010084)

Notice is hereby given that the Planning Inspectorate (on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) has accepted an application made by Vattenfall Wind Power Ltd (the Applicant) of First Floor, 1 Tudor Street London, EC4Y OAH for a Development Consent Order under the Planning Act 2008 (the Application). The Application was made on 27 June 2018 and accepted for examination on 23 July 2018 (Reference: EN010084).

The Application relates to the construction, operation and maintenance of the Thanet Extension Offshore Wind Farm, which is adjacent to the existing Thanet Offshore Wind Farm off the coast of Thanet, Kent (the Project). The Project is approximately 8km offshore at its closest point to land and would cover an offshore area of approximately 70 km². It will connect to the National Grid via underground cables to the National Grid substation at Richborough, Kent.

Development consent is required to the extent that development is or forms part of a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project pursuant to section 14(1)(a) and 15(3) of the Planning Act 2008. As the Project is expected t o have a capacity of greater than 100 MW it is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project for the purposes of the Planning Act 2008. It is for this reason that the Project falls within the remit of the Secretary of State.

The Development Consent Order would, amongst other things, authorise:

1. Up to 34 wind turbine generators and associated foundations, to provide an installed capacity of up to 340 MW;
2. Up to one meteorological mast and associated foundations;
3. Up to one Floating Lidar Device (FLD) and up to one wave buoy fixed t o the seabed:
4. Up to one offshore substation and associated foundations;
5. Up to four subsea export cables and fibre optic cables t o transmit electricity from the offshore substation or wind turbine strings to the shore;
6. Scour protection around foundations and on inter-array and fibre optic cables as required;
7. Landfall at Pegwell Bay with transition joint bays to connect the offshore and onshore cables;
8. Onshore connection works consisting of up to four cable circuits and communication cables, laid either underground or surface laid in a berm;
9. A new onshore substation at Richborough Port in the vicinity of the National Grid substation at Richborough Energy Park, Kent and underground cables to connect the offshore wind farm to the National Grid;
10. Temporary construction areas, working sites and access roads in connection with the cable route and onshore substation;
11. The permanent and/or temporary compulsory acquisition of land and/or rights for the Project where required;
12. Overriding of easements and other rights over or affecting land for the Project;
13. The application and/or disapplication of legislation relevant to the Project including inter alia legislation relating to compulsory purchase; and
14. Such ancillary, incidental and consequential provisions, permits or consents as are necessary or convenient.

Deposit locations

The proposed works are an environmental impact assessment (EIA) development for the purposes of the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 and accordingly an Environmental Statement accompanied the Application.

A hard copy of the full suite of application documents, including accompanying plans, maps and other documents may be inspected free of charge from 1 August 2018 until 12 September 2018 at the following locations during the hours set out below:

A copy of the Environmental Impact Assessment Non-Technical Summary (NTS), as well as USBs containing the full application is available free of charge at the following locations from 1 August 2018 until at least 12 September 2018 . All of these locations have computers on site for individuals to view the application.

Copies of the documents will also be available online through the Planning Inspectorate’s website at https://infrastructure.planninginspectorrate.gov.uk/projects/south-east/thanet-extension-offshore-wind-farm/ Paper copies can be provided on request from the Applicant at FREEPOST: Vattenfall TEOW Project or by e-mailing  info@thanetextension.com for a charge of £2,000 for the full suite of documents. USB device copies will be provided free of charge and are available on request.

Any responses to, or other representations in respect of, the Project must be made on a Registered and Relevant Representation Form, which can be completed online at:

https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/south-east/thanet-extension-offshore-wind-farm/ or obtained from the Planning Inspectorate by telephoning 0303 444 5000.

Responses by post should be sent to the Planning Inspectorate (National Infrastru cture Directorate), Temple Quay House, Temple Quay, Bristol. BSl 6PN. The Planning Inspectorate reference for the Project should be quoted in any correspondence, which is EN010084.

The Planning Inspectorate’s Advice Notice 8.2: How to register to participate in an Examination (December 2016) provides further guidance on how to register and make a relevant representation and can be accessed via the following link:

https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Advice-note-8-2v3.pdf

If you are not an affected landowner, please note that if you want to remain informed of the examination process and entitled to make representations, you must fill in a Registration and Relevant Representation Form to register as an interested party even if you do not wish to make a substantive representation at this point.

Any representation or response must be received by the Planning Inspectorate by 12 September 2018.

Please be aware that the Planning Inspectorate is required by law to make the information that you provide in any representation publicly available. Details published on Planning Inspectorate’s website will be restricted to your name and the text of your representation. However, any copies made available for inspection at public locations will contain your contact details.

i The opening times of the locations listed are at the discretion of those in control of the building and could vary to the times set out in this notice. Calling ahead to make an appointment is recommended. The organisatoi ns and locations providing access to documentation as part of this consultation are not in any way affiliated with the Project or the Applicant and are an independent and neutral party to the consultation process.

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