Wind Power: Planning Permission

Communities and Local Government written question – answered at on 4 June 2013.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Christopher Chope Christopher Chope Conservative, Christchurch

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many objections were made to each of the proposed offshore wind farms included in the Crown Estates Phase 3 programme; and how many of those objections related to the proposed Navitus Bay wind farm.

Photo of Mark Prisk Mark Prisk The Minister for Housing

In 2009, the Crown Estate identified nine areas for Round 3 offshore wind farms. The Planning Inspectorate was not involved in the identification of these areas. Successful developer partners for these sites were announced in January 2010. These developers are required to submit planning applications to the Planning Inspectorate or Marine Scotland to gain planning consent.

Applications have been made to the Planning Inspectorate for two offshore wind farms which are located within Crown Estates Phase 3 programme sites. These comprise: East Anglia One, accepted for examination on 14 December 2012, and Rampion offshore wind farm, accepted for examination on 25 March 2013.

In addition to these, there are currently five schemes registered at pre-application under the Planning Act 2008. These comprise: Atlantic Array (Bristol Channel), Rhiannon (North of Anglesey), Dogger Bank (East of Teeside), Hornsea (off the Yorkshire coast) and Navitus Bay (south-west of the Isle of Wight). At this stage the Planning Inspectorate provides advice to the developers, local authorities and the public involved in the Planning Act 2008 process. At pre-application any comments on the schemes need to be made directly to the developer.

Once an application has been accepted for examination, anybody interested in a scheme can register with the Planning Inspectorate during the “relevant representation period” and become an “interested party” by making a “relevant representation”. This time period is advertised by the developer. Relevant representations comprise views on the scheme, positive or negative. Once the period for relevant representations has closed, these are published on the project webpage. East Anglia One received 119 relevant representations. Rampion received 212 representations.

In relation to the specific query on Navitus Bay, this application is still at the pre-application stage and the developer is currently undertaking formal consultation on the proposals. The Planning Inspectorate has published all its advice given in response to queries received regarding this project on the Navitus Bay project page of its website:

http://infrastructure.planningportal.gov.uk/projects/south-east/navitus-bay-wind-park-formerly-isle-of-wight/?ipcsection=advice

Does this answer the above question?

Yes0 people think so

No0 people think not

Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.