Public Notice (South Coast): Notice of acceptance of an application for a Development Consent Order for a bi-directional electric power transmission link between England and France

NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCE OF AN APPLICATION FOR A DEVELOPMENT CONSENT ORDER FOR AQUIND INTERCONNECTOR (PLANNING INSPECTORATE REFERENCE: EN020022)

SECTION 56 OF THE PLANNING ACT 2008

AND

REGULATION 9 OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING (APPLICATIONS: PRESCRIBED FORMS AND PROCEDURE) REGULATIONS 2009

AND

REGULATION 16 OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING (ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT) REGULATIONS 2017

1. Notice is hereby given that the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (‘Secretary of State’) has accepted an application for a Development Consent Order (‘DCO’) made by AQUIND Limited (‘Applicant’) of OGN House, Hadrian Way, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, NE28 6HL under the Planning Act 2008. The application was submitted to the Secretary of State (via the Planning Inspectorate) on Thursday 14 November 2019 and accepted for examination on Thursday 12 December 2019. The Planning Inspectorate’s reference number for the application is EN020022.

SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT

2. AQUIND Interconnector (‘Project’) is a new 2,000 MW subsea and underground High Voltage Direct Current (‘HVDC’) bi-directional electric power transmission link between the South Coast of England and Normandy in France. By linking the British and French electric power grids it will make energy markets more efficient, improve security of supply and enable greater flexibility as power grids evolve to adapt to different sources of renewable energy and changes in demand trends such as the development of electric vehicles. The Project will have the capacity to transmit up to 16,000,000 MWh of electricity per annum, which equates to approximately 5% and 3% of the total consumption of the UK and France respectively.
3. The Application seeks development consent for those elements of the Project located in the UK and the UK Marine Area (‘Proposed Development’). The Proposed Development includes:

• HVDC marine cables from the boundary of the UK exclusive economic zone to the UK at Eastney in Portsmouth;
• jointing of the HVDC marine cables and HVDC onshore cables;
• HVDC onshore cables from Eastney and Lovedean;
• a Converter Station and associated electrical and telecommunications infrastructure;
• High Voltage Alternating Current (‘HVAC’) onshore cables and associated infrastructure connecting the Converter Station to the Great Britain electrical transmission network, the National Grid, at Lovedean Substation; and
• smaller diameter fibre optic cables to be installed together with the HVDC and HVAC cables and associated infrastructure.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

4. Schedules 1 and 2 of the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 set out the types of development for which an Environmental Impact Assessment (‘EIA’) is required to be undertaken. The Proposed Development is not development of a type listed within either of these schedules. However, due to the potential for significant environmental effects to arise in connection with the Proposed Development,the Applicant has opted to voluntarily undertake an EIA and provide an Environmental Statement (‘ES’) in support of the DCO application.

COPIES OF THE APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

5. An electronic copy of the Application Form and its accompanying documents including the draft DCO, ES, plans and maps (‘Application Documents’) is available for inspection using publicly available computers and/or the laptops provided, free of charge, at the following venues (opening days and times vary as listed, and are subject to change). The Application Documents will be available to view from Thursday 2 January 2020 until Wednesday 19 February 2020.

6. The Application Documents are also available to view online at http://aquindconsultation.co.uk/ and on the Planning Inspectorate’s website at https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/south-east/aquind-interconnector/?ipcsection=docs
7. Electronic copies of the Application Documents will be made available free of charge on a USB upon request to the Applicant. A paper copy of the complete set of Application Documents is available to be purchased at the cost of £4,250. Please email aquindconsultation@becg.com or phone 01962 893 869 if you would like to request copies of the Application Documents.

COMMENTING ON THE APPLICATION

8. 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, which is available through the project page of the Planning Inspectorate’s website at: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/south-east/aquind-interconnector/
9. If you would like to request a paper copy of the Planning Inspectorate’s Registration and Relevant Representation Form, please telephone the Planning Inspectorate on 0303 444 5000.
10. Completed forms should be returned to: The Planning Inspectorate, National Infrastructure Directive, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Bristol, BS1 6PN. The Planning Inspectorate’s reference number for the Application (EN020022) should be quoted in any correspondence.
11. The Planning Inspectorate’s Advice Note 8.2: How to register to participate in an Examination (December 2016) provides further guidance on how to register and make a relevant representation. It is available online at: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Advice-note-8-2v3.pdf
12. Please note that representations must be received by the Planning Inspectorate by 23:59 on Wednesday 19 February 2020. All representations will be made public by the Planning Inspectorate.
13. Further information about the Project may be obtained from the Applicant at:

Address: FREEPOST AQUIND CONSULTATION E: aquindconsultation@becg.com

W: http://aquindconsultation.co.uk/ T: 01962 893 869

9 January 2020