Public notice: Section 48 Planning Act 2008
20th October 2022
Section 48 Planning Act 2008
Regulation 4 The Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms And Procedure) Regulations 2009
RAMPION 2 OFFSHORE WIND FARM
NOTICE PUBLICISING A PROPOSED APPLICATION FOR A DEVELOPMENT CONSENT ORDER (DCO)
Notice was given in 14th July 2021 that Rampion Extension Development Limited (“RED”) (‘the Applicant’) of Greenwood House, Westwood Way, Westwood Business Park, Coventry, CV4 8PB proposes to apply to the Secretary of State under Section 37 of the Planning Act 2008 for a Development Consent Order (‘DCO’) for the construction, maintenance, operation and decommissioning of an offshore wind farm known as Rampion 2 (‘Rampion 2’).
Following the notice, the Applicant undertook consultation in accordance with the Planning Act 2008 and the Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 (‘Statutory Consultation’) between 14 July and 16 September 2021 which was then re-opened for a period between 7 February and 11 April 2022.
In considering the responses to the Statutory Consultation, and its further environmental assessment and engineering works, the Applicant has identified a number of alternative and modified cable route and additional access options and potential locations for new working areas and methods which are located beyond or within the previously identified onshore cable corridor. The proposed changes can be seen on plans that can be found at www. rampion2.com/consultation from 18th October to 29th November 2022. To ensure that all parties with an interest in the works and/or land affected are consulted on the proposals the Applicant is now undertaking further Statutory Consultation informed by a Preliminary Environmental Supplementary Information Report (PEIR SIR). The Applicant proposes to make an application for a DCO for Rampion 2 once it has finalised its proposals, having regard to the responses to this further Statutory Consultation.
The Project
Rampion 2 will have a proposed generating capacity in excess of 100 MW, and will be located around 13km from the Sussex coast at its nearest point. The proposed wind turbines and offshore substations will be constructed within an offshore array area adjacent to the existing Rampion Offshore Wind Farm. Export cables from the offshore array area will make landfall at Climping, West Sussex. The onshore elements of the proposal comprise a transmission cable route running from the landfall at Climping to a new project substation at the Oakendene site, near Cowfold, Horsham District. The cable route then connects to the existing National Grid Bolney Substation in Twineham, Mid Sussex where the project will be connected to the national electricity transmission system.
The proposed development consent order will, amongst other things, licence and authorise:
- The construction, operation and maintenance of up to 90 offshore wind turbines and associated foundations
- Construction of up to three offshore substations;
- Cables laid on or beneath the seabed between the wind turbines and offshore substations and between the substations themselves;
- Export cables to transmit electricity from the offshore substations to the shore;
- A landfall located at Climping Beach using Horizontal Directional Drilling installation, with transition joint bays to connect the offshore and onshore cables;
- Onshore underground cables with jointing pits to transmit electricity to a new onshore substation at the Oakendene site, near Cowfold, West Sussex. It is expected that the onshore cables will be laid within a corridor, the majority of which shall have a temporary working width of up to 50m;
- The construction and operation of an onshore substation at the Oakendene site;
- Underground cables between the new Oakendene substation and the existing Bolney substation to connect the offshore wind farm to the national electricity transmission network;
- The permanent compulsory acquisition of land and/or rights for the Project, where required;
- Overriding of easements and other rights over or affecting land as required for the Project;
- The application and/or disapplication of legislation relevant to the Project including inter alia legislation relating to compulsory purchase;
- If required, the closure and diversion of public rights of way and streets on a temporary and permanent basis; and
- Such ancillary, incidental and consequential provisions, permits or consents as are necessary and/or convenient.
Rampion 2 is an EIA development for the purposes of The Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017. This means that the proposed development requires an Environmental Impact Assessment and the proposed application for a DCO will therefore be accompanied by an Environmental Statement. Accordingly, the Applicant made preliminary environmental information available as part of the initial Statutory Consultation and is also making available supplementary environmental information as part of this further Statutory Consultation.
This further Statutory Consultation on the Rampion 2 Wind Farm will begin on 18th October 2022 and end on 29th November 2022. During this time copies of the consultation materials comprising documents, plans and maps showing the nature and location of the proposal will be made available. These include the Consultation Booklet, the consultation response form, the previously published Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR) and a Supplementary Information Report to the PEIR that has been produced for the new proposals. These documents will be available for inspection, free of charge, on the project website www.Rampion2.com/consultation. Hard copies will be available to view and the materials may also be inspected on computers accessible to the public at the following libraries during the consultation period (subject to any changes to library opening hours: please check with libraries directly or via their website in case of changes to normal opening times):
Copies of the consultation documents on a USB drive will be provided free of charge on request at these libraries, subject to availability. Requests for reproduction of any of these consultation materials in a hardcopy paper format may be subject to a fee based on the number of pages required, and subject to the specifications of the request.
The consultation documents will also be available for inspection free of charge at community drop-in events during the consultation period. Members of the project team will be available to discuss the project and answer questions about the potential alterations and modifications to the onshore proposals and the further Statutory Consultation. Events are taking place at the following locations and times:
Hard copies of the consultation materials (which may be subject to a fee), or translation of materials to another language, large print, audio or braille format may be requested, and other enquiries in respect of these materials may be raised, during the consultation period using the email address, telephone number or ‘Contact us’ form on the project website provided below:
- Email: rampion2@rwe.com
- Freephone number: 0800 2800 886
- Project website: www.rampion2.com
Responses to or other representations in respect of the proposed changes to Rampion 2 should be submitted to the Applicant via the consultation feedback form on the project website www.rampion2.com/consultation. Consultation responses may also be received by email to rampion2@rwe.com or in writing to the Applicant at: “FREEPOST: Rampion 2” stating the grounds of the response or representation. Any response or representation in respect of the proposed Development Consent Order must be received by the Applicant no later than 23:59 on 29th November 2022. We cannot guarantee that responses sent to any other addresses will be considered.
Details of responses and other representations will be made public at a later date, however details or comments will not be attributed to any individual.
