Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms - Transmission Assets Consultation

MORGAN AND MORECAMBE OFFSHORE WIND FARMS: TRANSMISSION ASSETS (“THE PROJECT”)
The Planning Act 2008 (“the Act”) – Section 47 (6) ‘Notice publicising the Statement of Community Consultation’
NOTICE OF PUBLICATION OF STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY CONSULTATION (“SoCC”)

The Application
Notice is hereby given that Morgan Offshore Wind Limited of Chertsey Road, Sunbury on Thames, Middlesex, and Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Limited of 12 Alva St, Edinburgh (collectively the “Applicants”), are proposing to submit an application to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero under Section 37 of the Act for development consent (the “Application”) for the Project.

The Morgan Offshore Wind Project and the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm are two proposed offshore wind farms being developed in the Irish Sea.

Morgan Offshore Wind Limited is a joint venture between bp Alternative Energy Investments Ltd and Energie Baden-Württemberg AG.

Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Limited is joint venture between Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios, S.A. (Cobra) and Flotation Energy Limited.

The Applicants are collaborating to connect the proposed offshore wind farms to the national grid via the Project. The two offshore wind farms are expected to form a key contribution to the UK’s target of generating 50 gigawatts (GW) of power from offshore wind by 2030. Combined they will generate approximately 2 GW of energy.

In October 2022, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy issued a direction under Section 35 of the Act that the Project should be treated as a development for which development consent is required.

About the Project

The Project will comprise both permanent and temporary infrastructure for the transmission of electricity from the Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms and connection into the existing National Grid substation at Penwortham, Lancashire including, but not limited to
Offshore infrastructure including offshore export cables, offshore substation platform(s), interconnector cables and a Morgan offshore booster station.
Landfall works (where the offshore cables reach the shore in the vicinity of Blackpool Airport) between Mean Low Water Springs and the transition joint bays including the offshore and onshore cables, intertidal working area and landfall construction compound(s), and temporary and permanent access.
Onshore infrastructure from the transition joint bays to the electricity transmission network connection. This includes onshore export cables to two new substations, temporary construction compounds, temporary and permanent access, and onward connections to the existing National Grid substation at Penwortham, Lancashire.
Areas for biodiversity net gain, enhancement and/or mitigation, including permanent access for operation and maintenance of those areas.

The Applicants have notified the Secretary of State in writing under Regulation 8(1)(b) of The Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (the “EIA Regulations”) that they intend to provide an Environmental Statement (“ES”) in respect of the Project. The Project is therefore an “EIA development” for the purposes of the EIA Regulations and an ES will form part of the Application.

Statement of Community Consultation

Before making the Application, the Applicants have a duty under Section 47 of the Act to produce a Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC). The SoCC explains the public consultation which the Applicants intend to undertake. It sets out how the Applicants will consult the local community about their proposals and how those with an interest can take part.

The Project consulted with the following local planning authorities on the SoCC, before making it available for public inspection
Fylde Council
Preston City Council
South Ribble Borough Council
Blackpool Council
Lancashire County Council
West Lancashire Council

The SoCC will be available on the Project website from Thursday 5 October 2023. The consultation materials will be available on the Project website from Thursday 12 October 2023. If you would like a paper copy of any documents that has been published as part of this consultation, please let us know, using the contact details given below. In accordance with the section 48 notice, costs starting from £0.28p per page may be associated with larger requests to cover printing and postage. Alternatively, if you would like a USB containing the documents, please let us know and we will send one free of charge. For any queries relating to accessing documents, plans and maps please email info@morecambeandmorgan.com or call 0800 915 2493 (option 3).

Deposit locations

Printed copies of the SoCC will be available from Thursday 05 October 2023 to Thursday 23 November 2023 in the following locations

Freckleton Library, Preston Old Road, Freckleton, PR4 1PB
Kirkham Library, Station Road, Kirkham, PR4 2HD
St Annes Library, 254 Clifton Drive South, Lytham St Annes, FY8 1NR
Lytham Library, Dicconson Terrace, Lytham St Annes, FY8 5JY
Ansdell Library, 59 Commonside, Ansdell, Lytham St Annes, FY8 4DJ
Penwortham Town Council and Community Centre, Kingsfold Drive, Penwortham, Preston PR1 9EQ
Henry Bloom Noble Library, 8 Duke Street, Douglas, Isle of Man IM1 2AY