FIVE ESTUARIES OFFSHORE WIND FARM

FIVE ESTUARIES OFFSHORE WIND FARM

SECTION 48 PLANNING ACT 2008

REGULATION 4 INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING (APPLICATIONS: PRESCRIBED FORMS AND PROCEDURE) REGULATIONS 2009

NOTICE PUBLICISING A PROPOSED APPLICATION FOR A DEVELOPMENT CONSENT ORDER (“DCO”)

Notice is hereby given that Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm 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 (‘the Project’) is adjacent to the existing Galloper Offshore Wind Farm.

The Project includes provision for the construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of an offshore wind farm located approximately 37 kilometres off the coast of Suffolk at its closest point in the southern North Sea; including up to 79 wind turbine generators and associated infrastructure making landfall between Frinton-on-Sea and Holland-on-Sea, the installation of underground cables, and the construction of an electrical substation and associated infrastructure in the vicinity of Little Bromley in order to connect the development to National Grid’s proposed East Anglia Connection Node substation. All onshore infrastructure would be located in Tendring District, Essex.

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

Offshore

1. An offshore wind turbine generating station with a generating capacity of over 100 megawatts, comprising up to 79 wind turbine generators with associated foundations and a maximum tip height of 420m above sea level.
2. Up to two offshore substation platforms with associated foundations.
3. A network of subsea inter-array cables including cable protection, connecting the wind turbines to each other and to the offshore substation platforms including cable crossings.
4. Up to four subsea export cable circuits including cable crossings, cable protection, sheet piled intertidal exit pits and trenchless installation works from the offshore substation platforms to shore, with an offshore cable route length of up to 84km.
5. Scour protection, as required, for foundations and cables.

Onshore

1. Transition joint bays between Frinton-on-Sea and Holland-on-Sea to connect the offshore cables and the onshore cables.
2. Up to four buried export cable circuits from the transition joint bays at landfall along an approximately 22km route to a new electrical substation near Lawford and Ardleigh, including cable ducts, jointing and trenchless installation works. This route passes under the A120.
3. The construction of a new electrical substation in the vicinity of Little Bromley together with associated equipment, accesses, landscaping and a temporary construction compound.
4. Two buried 400kV cable circuits connecting the new substation to National Grid’s proposed East Anglia Connection Node substation, including cable ducts, jointing and trenchless installation works.
5. Temporary construction areas and haul roads together with works to secure vehicular and/or pedestrian means of access for the Project.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. If required, temporary stopping up, diversion or alteration of streets, roads and Public Rights of Way.
9. If required, the permanent and compulsory acquisition of land and rights for the Project.
10. If required, overriding of easements and other rights over or affecting land for the Project.
11. If required, the application and/or disapplication of legislation relevant to the Project including inter alia legislation relating to compulsory acquisition.
12. Such ancillary, incidental and consequential provisions, permits and consents as are necessary and/or convenient.

The Project has a generating capacity in excess of 100MW and therefore is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under s15(3) Planning Act 2008. In addition, the Project is an Environmental Impact Assessment development for the purposes of the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017. Accordingly, the Applicant will be 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), which includes details of the proposals, may be inspected free of charge in the exhibition section of the Applicant’s website (www.fiveestuaries.co.uk) that also contains other information on the Project.

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.

If you require alternative methods for inspection of the PEIR, please telephone the Applicant on: 0333 880 5306 or email: fiveestuaries@rwe.com. We are able to provide guidance on using the project 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 Booklet, 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 location of the proposed development) will be available for inspection during the consultation period.

This consultation will take place from 14 March 2023 to 12 May 2023. Any person may comment on the proposals for Five Estuaries or otherwise respond to this notice. The Consultation Booklet 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 Project.

Any responses in respect of the Project should be sent:

1. by email to fiveestuaries@rwe.com; or
2. by post to ‘Freepost FIVE ESTUARIES’. No further postal address or stamp is required.

The deadline for responses is 11:59pm on Friday 12 May 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.

As part of coordination with the North Falls Offshore Wind Farm project, a summary of the issues raised from feedback from members of the public to this Five Estuaries consultation will be shared with the North Falls project for information. Responses to this Five Estuaries consultation will not count as responses to future consultations carried out by North Falls. As such, it is important that you respond to both projects’ consultations if you wish to have a response formally considered.

Contact the Five Estuaries Project:

Telephone: 0333 880 5306

Email: fiveestuaries@rwe.com

Website: www.fiveestuaries.co.uk