TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING DOGGER BANK SOUTH OFFSHORE WIND FARMS SECTION 48 PLANNING ACT 2008 REGULATION 4 INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING (APPLICATIONS: PRESCRIBED FORMS AND PROCEDURE) REGULATIONS 2009 REGULATION 4 INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING (ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT) REGULATIONS 2017 NOTICE PUBLICISING A PROPOSED APPLICATION FOR A DEVELOPMENT CONSENT ORDER (“DCO”)

Notice is hereby given that RWE Renewables Dogger Bank South (West) Limited and RWE Renewables Dogger Bank South (East) Limited (the “Applicant”) of Windmill Hill Business Park, Whitehill Way, Swindon, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, SN5 6PB intends to apply to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero under Section 37 of the Planning Act 2008 for the above mentioned DCO. The proposed development comprises two offshore wind farms; Dogger Bank South West and Dogger Bank South East, herein known as ‘the Projects’.

The Projects include provision for the construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of two offshore windfarms located approximately 100km from the Yorkshire coast at its closest point in the shallow area of the North Sea known as Dogger Bank. The application provides for two separate sites known as DBS West and DBS East.

Up to 200 wind turbine generators will be installed across both Projects, together with associated offshore and onshore infrastructure. Associated infrastructure (at a capacity which will also serve a wider grid network purpose) includes offshore platforms, the installation of underground offshore and onshore cables, and the construction of an electrical substation and associated infrastructure in the vicinity of Beverley. The wind turbine generators and offshore platforms will be located within the offshore array aras, and will be connected to each other via interarray and interconnector cables, and will be fixed to the seabed with foundation structures. The electricity generated by the wind turbine generated will be transported to the national grid via cables which will make landfall in the vicinity of Skipsea between Bridlington and Hornsea, and connect to National Grid’s proposed Creyke Beck Connection Node substation via the Projects’ onshore substation. All onshore infrastructure will be located in East Riding of Yorkshire.

The proposed Development Consent Order will, amongst other things, authorise components including:

Offshore

  1. Up to 200 wind turbine enerators across both Projects with associated foundations and scour protection.
  2. Offshore platforms, including offshore substation platforms, offshore converter platforms, collector platforms, a Reactive Compensation Platform, an Electrical Switching Platform and/or an Accommodation Platform.
  3. Foundation structures and scour protection for wind turbines and offshore platforms.
  4. A network of subsea inter array cables including cable protection, connecting the wind turbines to each other and to offshore platforms, including cable crossing.
  5. Inter-platform cables including cable protection, connecting the offshore platforms to each other, including cable crossings.
  6. Offshore export cables from the array areas to the landfall.

Onshore

  1. Landfall and associated transition joint bays located near to Skipsea approximately halfway between Bridlington and Hornsea to connect the offshore cables and the onshore cables.
  2. Onshore export cables installed underground from the transition joint bays to the onshore substations and associated joint bays and link boxes.
  3. Onshore substations together with associated equipment, accesses, landscaping and onward 400 kilovolt connection to a proposed new National Grid substation near Creyke Beck, to the south of Beverley.
  4. Trenchless crossing locations (e.g. Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD)).
  5. Construction and operational accesses.
  6. Construction compounds.
  7. Associated and/or ancillary works including archaeological and ground investigations, drainage works, highway improvements, works to alter the position of existing utilities, works to watercourses, landscaping and other mitigation and monitoring works.
  8. Such other works as may be necessary or expedient for the purposes of or in connection with the construction, operation, maintenance or decommissioning of the Project.
  9. If required, temporary stopping up, diversion or alteration of streets, roads and Public Rights of Way.
  10. If required, the permanent and compulsory acquisition of land and rights for the Project.
  11. If required, overriding of easements and other rights over or affecting land for the Project.
  12. If required, the application and/or disapplication of legislation relevant to the Project including inter alia legislation relating to compulsory acquisition.
  13. Such ancillary, incidental and consequential provisions, permits and consents as are necessary and/or convenient.

The Projects have a generating capacity in excess of 100MW and therefore are classified as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under s14 and s15(3) of the Planning Act 2008. In addition, the Projects are Environmental Impact Assessment developments for the purposes of the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017. Accordingly, the Applicant is making preliminary environmental information available and the proposed application for a DCO will be accompanied by a full Environmental Statement.

A copy of the Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR) and non-technical summary (NTS), and plans and maps showing the nature and location of the proposed development may be inspected free of charge in the exhibition section of the Applicant’s website www. doggerbanksouth.co.uk from 6 June 2023.

The NTS, as well as other consultation materials, will also be available in hard copy at the deposit locations below. Opening hours are subject to change, please check before making a special trip. Each deposit location has computer facilities available for public use which will allow access to the PEIR and other consultation documents on the Applicant’s website.

Deposit locations

If you have any queries in relation to the consultation documents, plans and maps, or require alternative methods for inspection of the consultation documents, plans and map, please telephone the Applicant on: 0800 254 5459 or email:dbs@rwe.com. We are able to provide guidance on using the Projects website or can, upon request, provide a USB stick free-of-charge containing the PEIR. Hard copies of the NTS, the Statement of Community Consultation, the consultation brochure, plans and maps, and a feedback form can also be provided free-of-charge upon request during the consultation period. Hard copies of the PEIR will be subject to a maximum charge of £1,000 to cover printing costs. The documents (which include plans showing the nature and location of the proposed development) will be available for inspection on the Applicant’s website and at the deposit locations until 17 July 2023.

This consultation will take place from 6 June 2023 to 17 July 2023. Any person may comment on the proposals for the Projects or otherwise respond to this notice. The consultation brochure and feedback form explain the specific topics on which the Applicant is seeking feedback, although consultees are not restricted to commenting on these issues and the Applicant welcomes feedback on any aspect of the Projects.

Any responses in respect of the Projects should be sent:

(1) by email to dbs@rwe.com; or

(2) by post to ‘Freepost DBSOWF’. No further postal address or stamp is required.

The deadline for responses is 11:59pm on Monday 17 July 2023, postal responses must be sent on or before this deadline. Responses should explain who is making the response and give an address for future correspondence. Responses may be made public. Please note that any consultation responses received after this date may not be considered.

Contact the Dogger Bank South Projects:

Telephone: 0800 254 5459

Email: dbs@rwe.com

Website: www.doggerbanksouth.co.uk

Read more public notices at Fishing News here

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