consultation report - planning inspectorate... · dear jessica, reference: notice of final...

DOGGER BANK CREYKE BECK

August 2013

Consultation Report Appendix E - Section 42 Cover Letters (Stage 2 Consultation)

Doc.No. F-STC-RP-004

Application Reference: 5.1


Contents

Appendix E Section 42 cover letters (stage 2 consultation)

E1 06.12.2012 Hard copy request letter

E2 14.03.2013 S42 and non-stat advance notice letter

E3 16.04.2013 Cover letter to Planning Inspectorate

E4 16.04.2013 Cover letter to S42 and non-stat

E5 03.04.2013 Pre-notice letter to S42(1)(d)

E6 16.04.2013 Cover letter to S42(1)(d)

E7 Additional S42d consultation cover letter

E8 Landowner factsheet


August 2013

Consultation Report Appendix E1 - 06.12.2012 Hard Copy Request Letter



Dogger Bank Creyke Beck – Final stage of statutory consultation

Please help us to protect our environment by only requesting a hard copy if absolutely necessary.

Please choose ONE of the following options.

DVD only Hard copy of the Non-Technical Summary only, plus a DVD I would like Forewind to contact me about my requirements

Yes: No:

Phone

Yes: No: If no, please provide us with alternative contact details in the space provided above.

Name

Organisation

Address

Email

Preferred Method of Contact?

During the consultation period I will require a:-

DD

I would like to arrange a meeting with Forewind during the consultation period?

I

The contact details Forewind used for this letter are correct?

Your details

Please return this form to Forewind by Monday 17th

December 2012. Freepost RSLY-HKGK-HEBR Forewind

Davidson House

Forbury Square Reading, RG1 3EU

Website: www.forewind.co.uk Email: [email protected] Freephone: 0800 975 5636

http://www.forewind.co.uk/

mailto:[email protected]

Forewind Ltd Davidson House Forbury Square Reading RG1 3EU United Kingdom Thursday 6 December 2012 Dear Sir or Madam, Dogger Bank Creyke Beck – Advance Notice of Statutory Consultation Period I am writing to inform you of the upcoming, final statutory consultation period for the offshore wind farm development: Dogger Bank Creyke Beck. Your organisation has been identified as a prescribed consultee for this development, in accordance with Section 42 of the Planning Act 2008. The Planning Act 2008 is the legislation under which Forewind will seek development consent and a deemed Marine Licence. Following two years of extensive survey and assessment work, Forewind has now compiled a detailed proposal for the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck development. In the spring of 2013, Forewind will consult you on its draft Environmental Statement and a draft Non-Technical Summary which will provide an assessment of the likely significant effects of the development both onshore and offshore, and identify any proposed mitigation measures. Consultation at this stage will allow Forewind to consider any feedback from stakeholders and make any necessary changes to these documents prior to submission of the final consent application, which is currently scheduled for summer 2013. The ability to make changes to the consent after submission is very limited, so this consultation provides a final opportunity for Forewind to take on board comments relating to the proposal. Consultation materials will be made available to stakeholders in DVD format. Stakeholders may also request a hard copy of the draft Non-Technical Summary (approximately 100 pages). All consultation materials will be made available for inspection at local libraries, details of which may be found on our website http://www.forewind.co.uk/downloads/dogger-bank-creyke-beck-downloads/phase-one-consultation.html, as well as on the Forewind website. Hard copies of all consultation documents are available; however these documents are in excess of 6,000 pages. Please indicate on the enclosed form if you would like to speak with Forewind about your requirements. Please help us to protect our environment by only requesting a hard copy if absolutely necessary. Please return the enclosed form by Monday 17 December 2012 to let us know whether you will require a hard copy of any of the documents. If we do not hear from you by 17 December we will try to contact you by telephone, however if we haven’t been able to contact you by 21 December, we will assume that you require a DVD copy only. The consultation period will be at least 28 days. Forewind will write to you to confirm the exact dates for the consultation period. Any response to this consultation should be sent to Forewind prior to the consultation response deadline in order to ensure its consideration. Members of Forewind’s development team will be available for meetings throughout the consultation period, should you wish to discuss the consultation materials in person. Please indicate on the enclosed form if you are likely to require a meeting with Forewind during this period.

http://www.forewind.co.uk/downloads/dogger-bank-creyke-beck-downloads/phase-one-consultation.html

http://www.forewind.co.uk/downloads/dogger-bank-creyke-beck-downloads/phase-one-consultation.html

Finally, in order to ensure our records are up to date could you please confirm that the contact details we hold for you are correct. The consultation documents detailed above are intended to provide information on the status of the project to all stakeholders defined under Section 42 of the Planning Act 2008 (this includes statutory bodies, Local Authorities, landowners and any others with an interest in the land affected by the development). Forewind will also be holding a series of community consultation events in spring 2013. Consultation events are targeted at the local community but you would be very welcome to attend if you would find it helpful. The exact dates and locations of these public events will be published in the local press and on the Forewind website at least two weeks beforehand. Forewind will also publicise the application in spring 2013 through a notice in the local and national press, in accordance with Section 48 of the Planning Act 2008. Consultation with stakeholders is a key element of the pre-application process and Forewind welcomes feedback from stakeholders and anyone else with an interest in our development proposals. We hope you will be able to take part in this consultation as it will provide you with the best opportunity to submit your comments about our proposals. Additional details about our stakeholder engagement process can be found in the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (StEP) and details of our community consultation process for Dogger Bank Creyke Beck can be found in the Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC). Both of these documents have been published on our website, www.forewind.co.uk Yours faithfully,

Rebecca Sherwood Rebecca Sherwood Onshore Project Developer Forewind Ltd.



August 2013

Consultation Report Appendix E2 - 14.03.2013 S42 and non-stat pre-notice Letter



Thursday 14 March 2013 Dear Sir or Madam Dogger Bank Creyke Beck – Advanced Notice of Final Consultation Further to my letter of 6 December 2012, Forewind is now making firm plans for the upcoming consultation for the offshore wind farm development: Dogger Bank Creyke Beck. This will be Forewind’s final consultation before submitting an application for a Development Consent Order to the Planning Inspectorate, in accordance with the Planning Act 2008 as amended by the Localism Act 2011. We urge you to take part in this consultation as there will be very limited opportunity to change the proposals once the application has been submitted. Consultation documents, including a draft Environmental Statement and draft Non-Technical Summary, will be made available to stakeholders in the week commencing 15 April 2013. At this time, your organisation will receive:

a DVD copy of the consultation documents (plus any hard copies that you have requested);

a cover letter explaining the consultation process and deadline for responses; and

a copy of the Section 48 Notice that Forewind will publish at that time. The consultation documents will also be available to download www.forewind.co.uk and in local libraries, details of which are available on our website. The official consultation start date and deadline for responses will be outlined in the cover letter. The consultation period will be at least seven weeks in duration, which is longer than the statutory minimum of 28 days. Please note that all responses must be received by Forewind by the agreed deadline to ensure their consideration. Forewind is consulting your organisation as it falls within the consultation bodies as set out in Section 42 of the Planning Act 2008 (this includes bodies prescribed by Schedule 1 of The Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedures) Regulations 2009, (“the APFP Regulations”), local authorities, landowners and any others with an interest in the land affected by the development). Please note that in order to meet our statutory obligations, Forewind must consult all stakeholders prescribed by the APFP Regulations, even if a stakeholder has requested otherwise. As part of this consultation, Forewind will also consult the local community in accordance with Section 47 of the Planning Act 2008. Forewind will host a series of six public exhibitions in the development area at the start of May which you are also welcome to attend to learn more about the development. Full event details can be found in the consultation cover letter, as part of the Section 48 notice and on our website. If you have any questions about the consultation, please do not hesitate to contact me. Yours faithfully,

Rebecca Sherwood Rebecca Sherwood Project Developer Forewind



August 2013

Consultation Report Appendix E3 - 16.04.2013 Cover Letter to Planning Inspectorate



Our ref: CBPEI301 Jessica Potter The Planning Inspectorate Temple Quay House Temple Quay Bristol BS1 6PN 16 April 2013 Dear Jessica,

Reference: NOTICE OF FINAL PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION Further to our previous correspondence about the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck offshore wind development, this letter is to inform you that the next and final stage of Forewind’s statutory consultation will begin on 19 April 2013. Responses must be received by Forewind by 5pm on Tuesday 11 June 2013. This letter and the accompanying information is intended to provide the Secretary of State with notice of the proposed application in accordance with Section 46 of the Planning Act 2008. Forewind and Dogger Bank Creyke Beck

Forewind is a consortium comprising four leading international energy companies; SSE, RWE, Statoil and Statkraft which came together to develop the Dogger Bank Zone, located a minimum of 125 kilometres from the UK’s shore. Dogger Bank Creyke Beck is the first development within the zone, and it comprises two offshore wind farm arrays, Dogger Bank Creyke Beck A and Dogger Bank Creyke Beck B, with a proposed total installed capacity of up to 2.4 gigawatts (2,400 megawatts) together with the development described below. Consenting process

An application for a single Development Consent Order (DCO) will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate later in 2013 to seek consent to build and operate the two offshore wind farm arrays, which together form Dogger Bank Creyke Beck. This one application will encompass the development required to construct and operate these two offshore wind farm arrays and the onshore and offshore associated infrastructure. Environmental impact assessment

An Environmental Impact Assessment, in line with the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2009, is well underway. The initial findings of this assessment, including mitigation proposed to remove or minimise adverse environmental effects, are documented within a draft Environmental Statement which is available as part of this consultation.

The full description of the project is provided in Chapter 5 – Project Description of the draft Environmental Statement. In brief, the Development Consent Order application will seek consent for:

• up to 600 wind turbines and associated foundations;

• offshore converter, collector and accommodation platforms;

• offshore meteorological masts;

• offshore and onshore export cables;

• cable landfall and transition bays;

• onshore converter stations; and

• connection works to the National Grid substation. Purpose of this consultation

In advance of submitting the Development Consent Order application, Forewind is providing a final opportunity for stakeholders to review and comment on the proposals and draft Environmental Statement for Dogger Bank Creyke Beck. This consultation follows on from the previous statutory consultation in December 2011 when stakeholders were approached for their views on the draft proposals (known as Preliminary Environmental Information 1 or PEI1). It also builds on the dialogue Forewind has had with stakeholders throughout the development of the project and in compiling the draft Environmental Statement. Consultation documents

The following documents have been prepared for this final stage of consultation:

• Community Consultation Summary of the proposals;

• Non-Technical Summary of the draft Environmental Statement;

• Draft Environmental Statement comprising chapters relating to assessment of both onshore and offshore elements of the project;

• Plans showing the location of the proposed development, set out in Figures 2.7 and 2.8 in Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement;

• Draft Habitats Regulations Assessment Report; and

• Other draft application documents, as detailed in Annex 1. Consultees

At this final stage of pre-application consultation, Forewind is consulting:

• all consultees prescribed by Schedule 1 of the Infrastructure Planning (Application: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009, as amended, in accordance with Section 42(1)(a) of the Planning Act 2008, and additional non-prescribed bodies with an interest in the proposals:

• the Marine Management Organisation, in accordance with Section 42 (1)(aa) of the Planning Act 2008;

• landowners and anyone with an interest in the land which is likely to be affected by the proposals, as identified in accordance with Section 44 of the Planning Act 2008;

• local authorities identified in line with Section 43 of the Planning Act 2008;

• transboundary consultees in European Economic Area member states which could be affected; and

• the local community, in accordance with Section 47 of the Planning Act 2008 and the Statement of Community Consultation.

Distribution and availability of consultation documents

Enclosed are two DVDs containing the preliminary environmental information and other draft application documents that we are consulting you on at this stage. A hard copy of the draft Consultation Report is also provided for your comment. This draft, issued only to the Planning Inspectorate, Marine Management Organisation and East Riding of Yorkshire Council for consultation, provides a summary of the consultation undertaken to date and provides the framework for the final Consultation Report which will be submitted with the application. Due to the number of documents produced, not all documents are being sent to all consultees as a matter of course. The main consultation documents are the draft Environmental Statement, Non-Technical Summary, Community Consultation Summary and draft Habitats Regulations Report. These are being distributed by DVD (such as the one enclosed with this letter) and will also be available online from 18 April 2013 at www.forewind.co.uk. All other documents (with the exception of the Consultation Report) are listed in the cover letter sent to each consultee prescribed by Section 42 of the Planning Act, and are available on request from Forewind. Alternatively, hard copies of the draft Environmental Statement can be inspected during the consultation period at a number of local libraries as detailed on the enclosed Section 48 Notice, or purchased at cost price (£600) by contacting Forewind. Additional DVDs and hard copies of the Non-Technical Summary are available free of charge. Public exhibitions will be held in the local area and the consultation documents will all be available to inspect at these events. Details are included in the enclosed copy of the Section 48 Notice and on our website www.forewind.co.uk. Section 48 notice

Enclosed is a copy of the Section 48 Notice that Forewind will publish in various national and local newspapers over the next couple of weeks, in accordance with Section 48 of the Planning Act 2008. The Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 set out the matters to be included within that notice (in Regulation 4(3)) and we are providing you with a copy of this Notice to meet our obligations under Regulation 11 of the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2009. Key issues we are consulting on

The purpose of this consultation is to seek views and feedback on the proposals to allow stakeholders to influence the way Dogger Bank Creyke Beck is developed.



Since the initial consultation, and having taken into account the responses received, Forewind has now established some elements of the development and changed others. The changes listed below are included within the project description in Chapter 5 and any impacts are assessed within the draft Environmental Statement:

• the project boundaries for Dogger Bank Creyke Beck A and Dogger Bank Creyke Beck B;

• the location of the onshore converter stations;

• the onshore cable route with a working width of 36m for high voltage direct current cables and 38m for high voltage alternating current cables;

• the landfall location;

• a reduction in the total installed capacity; and

• a reduced maximum number of wind turbines. Until final design work is carried out after consent, it is necessary to maintain some flexibility in the development; this is known as the ‘Rochdale envelope’ approach. Therefore, maximum and minimum parameters for key elements of infrastructure have been used to inform a realistic worst case approach to the environmental assessment. The reasons for the parameters proposed are set out in individual chapters of the draft Environmental Statement, particularly Chapter 6 - Assessment of Alternatives. While Forewind welcomes feedback on all aspects of the proposed development, there remain some key decisions to make prior to the final application. Forewind is particularly interested to find out stakeholder opinions on these, as set out below: Offshore

i. Birds: Comments are sought on the methodology used in the ornithological chapter of the Environmental Statement and the Habitats Regulations Assessment and how the results are presented. In particular in relation to:

apportionment of impacts to protected sites, including breeding seabirds and non-breeding seabirds;

displacement, including species displacement rates, species mortality rates and the use of displacement/mortality rates matrices;

barrier effects; and

collision risk.

ii. Cumulative impact assessment: There is no prescribed method for cumulative impact assessment. Views are sought on Forewind’s selected approach as set out in the appendix to Chapter 4 of the draft Environmental Statement, which includes other projects within the Dogger Bank Zone. This strategy has been applied throughout the offshore chapters of the Environmental Statement.

iii. Final layout of the turbines: The final layout of the turbines within the boundary of each wind farm has not been specified at this stage as some

flexibility needs to be maintained post-consent. However, to address the concerns of relevant stakeholders, such as the Marine and Coastguard Agency and fishermen, Forewind has drafted some ‘layout rules’ to aid mariners and fishermen in their navigation of the area. These layout rules are set out within Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement and referenced in the draft Development Consent Order.

iv. Offshore in-zone export cables: The exit points of the export cables from the zone have yet to be determined, so views are sought on any environmental or other matters which may influence the final decision. The broad areas under consideration are likely to be refined following the consultation.

Onshore

v. Converter station screening: Views are sought on the landscaping proposed to reduce the visual impact of the converter stations, as set out in the appendix to Chapter 21a of the draft Environmental Statement.

vi. Converter station appearance: Suggestions are requested on the style or type of building, material and colour for the converter station, in order to reduce visual impact. The Development Consent Order application will seek consent for the largest structure that may be needed, and detailed design will be determined post consent. Stakeholders' suggestions relating to the appearance of the converter stations will however be considered for inclusion as "design principles" in the Code of Construction Practice.

vii. Final design and cable routing: Forewind would like to know whether there are any additional factors it should consider when finalising details for the onshore cable route, landfall and onshore converter station.

viii. Ecological mitigation: Consultees’ opinions are sought on the proposals for ecological mitigation and biodiversity enhancements on the converter station site as proposed in Chapter 25 of the draft Environmental Statement.

ix. Access: This consultation is an opportunity to raise any issues around the planned access arrangements for construction and operational traffic as described within Chapter 28 of the draft Environmental Statement.

x. Consultation: Forewind welcomes suggestions on the best ways to engage and inform local communities during construction.

Issues for further consideration and assessment prior to the final submission

Since the environmental assessment work for this consultation was finalised, the proposed development has progressed and further options for some parts of the project have now become attractive. These were not evident before or did not appear to be available or required. As a result, views are sought on the options and parameters listed below which are described, along with a summary of likely environmental effects, within Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement. It should be noted that the individual assessment chapters do not yet reflect this updated assessment. For those elements which are taken forward into the final application further detail will be provided within the final Environmental Statement where relevant, taking into account feedback from this consultation. Forewind

therefore seeks comments on any considerations which relate to these options. Reference to Sections and Figures below all relate to Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement.

i. Offshore in-zone export cable route: The specific locations of the export cable route within the Dogger Bank Zone which connect the exit points from the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck project development areas and the export cable corridors at the zone boundary are still being refined. Several options for these in-zone portions of the export cable corridors are under consideration and broad areas of search are shown in Figure 2.7.

ii. Offshore inter-project cables and cable corridor: Additional cables may be required to provide a link between the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck wind farm development areas (linking Creyke Beck A and Creyke Beck B) to provide flexibility in the transmission network. The nature and location of these cables are described in more detail in Section 2.1.12 and the proposed broad area of search for a connection corridor is shown in Figure 2.6.

iii. Offshore Temporary work areas: During the construction period there may be a need for temporary work areas, within which vessels may carry out intrusive activities, for example cable construction vessels requiring space for anchor spreads alongside the cable corridors. To accommodate this, a temporary construction area will surround both the offshore cable corridor route and the wind farm development areas, as shown in Figure 2.7.

iv. Wind turbine height: The maximum upper blade tip height of the wind turbines is increased (although rotor diameters and maximum swept areas are unchanged), as explained in Section 3.1.

v. Monopile diameter: Forewind intends to increase the maximum diameter of monopole foundation driven piles from 8 metres to 10 metres, as described in Section 3.2 (Table 3.3).

vi. Number of multileg piles: The maximum number of driven piles is proposed to increase from four to six multileg piles per foundation, although still within the original maximum number of multileg piles per project. Further details are provided in Section 3.2 (Table 3.4).

vii. Export cable length and cable crossings: It is necessary to maintain the flexibility to lay export cables in an ‘unbundled’ form. This means that the maximum export cable length and affected seabed areas may be approximately doubled, along with an increase in the number of cable and pipeline crossings. Further details are provided in Section 3.11.

Compulsory Purchase

If deemed necessary, powers of compulsory acquisition of land and/or rights over land may be sought in connection with the proposed onshore infrastructure. All persons with an interest in the land identified at this stage, such as landowners or anyone with rights in the land are being consulted. These discussions are continuing so only once the land interests have been fully identified and agreements entered into with landowners where possible, will the full extent of the compulsory purchase requirement be known. These details will be provided with the final application.

How to respond to the consultation

This consultation formally commences on 19 April 2013. Forewind must receive responses back by 11 June 2013 in order to ensure their consideration. Responses can be submitted in person at the public exhibitions, or by: email: [email protected] Online: www.forewind.co.uk Freephone: 0800 975 5636

Freepost: Freepost RSLY-HKGK-HEBR Forewind Davidson House Forbury Square Reading, RG1 3EU

Consultees are being asked to indicate who is making the response, which organisation is represented (if relevant) and a contact address and email to which any further correspondence relating to the submission may be sent. In addition, for Forewind to effectively take account of the responses, we have requested that comments are categorised by headings which specify the draft Environmental Statement chapter or document referred to in the response. Consultees have been reminded that as this is the final statutory pre-application consultation, responses will be recorded within the Consultation Report, which will be a public document submitted with the application. Next stages

Comments received in response to this consultation will be considered and incorporated (where appropriate) into the final application for development consent and the Environmental Statement to be submitted with the application. The outcome of this consultation, and previous consultations, will be documented in the Consultation Report submitted with the application. This will set out where relevant responses have been included, and where they have not been included will explain the reasons for this. Yours sincerely, Nikki Young Stakeholder Manager Forewind Enclosures:

1. Annex 1 – summary of the documents available for consultation 2. Notice to be published in accordance with Section 48 of the Planning Act 2008 3. DVD 1 – Preliminary Environmental Information 4. DVD 2 – Draft Application Documents 5. Draft Consultation Report

Annex 1 - Summary of the consultation documents

DVD 1 – Preliminary Environmental Information Draft Environmental Statement and Non-Technical Summary This document consists of chapters relating to assessment of both onshore and offshore elements of the project and makes an independent assessment of the project's likely significant environmental effects on the existing baseline conditions, taking into account any mitigation suggested. An overview of the findings can be found within the draft Non-Technical Summary. The chapters of the draft Environmental Statement are as follows: 1 Introduction 2 Project Need 3 Legislation and Policy 4 EIA process 5 Project Description 6 Assessment of Alternatives 7 Consultation 8 Designated Sites 9 Marine Physical Processes 10 Marine Water & Sediment Quality 11 Marine & Coastal Ornithology 12 Marine & Inter-tidal Ecology 13 Fish and shellfish 14 Marine mammals 15 Commercial Fisheries 16 Shipping & Navigation 17 Other Marine Users 18 Marine/Coastal Archaeology

19 Military Activities 20 Civil Aviation 21a Landscape Visual Character 21b Seascape Visual Character 22 Socio-economics 23 Tourism & Recreation 24 Geology, Water Resources & Land 25 Terrestrial Ecology 26 Land Use & Agriculture 27 Terrestrial Archaeology 28 Traffic and Access 29 Noise 30 Air Quality 31 Interrelationships 32 Transboundary Effects 33 Cumulative Impact Assessment 34 Conclusions 35 Summary - Monitoring & Mitigation

Plans Plans showing the location of the proposed development are set out in Figure 2.7 and Figure 2.8 within Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement, and indicative Works Plans are provided along with the draft Development Consent Order to show the positioning of each work area. Draft Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) Report This document makes an assessment of Dogger Bank Creyke Beck with respect to its potential to have a likely significant effect on European sites of nature conservation importance. Responses to this document are sought to inform the final HRA report to be submitted with the application, along with screening and integrity matrices, to inform the decision-maker’s final appropriate assessment. Community Consultation Summary This is a non-technical summary of the proposals produced specifically for the local community at this final stage of consultation.

DVD 2 – Other Draft Application Documents Draft Development Consent Order The Development Consent Order is the Statutory Instrument which, if approved, will provide consent under the Planning Act 2008 to construct and operate the offshore wind farm and associated infrastructure. It also has the ability to grant deemed consent for a Marine Licence under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. The document sets out the limits within which the development must be constructed and secures mitigation through requirements and conditions. A summary of the document is also provided for ease of reference. Planning and Design Statement This draft statement sets out, for consultation purposes, a framework for the final Planning and Design Statement to be submitted with the application. It considers the relevant national and local policies and considerations in decision-making in accordance with Section 104 of the Planning Act 2008. In addition, the design considerations undertaken throughout the development process are articulated within this document. Code of Construction Practice This is a draft of the outline Code of Construction Practice to be submitted along with the application. It will include predicted impacts of construction and mitigation to address these. The Code relates to onshore construction activities only and will cover various subject areas including traffic and transport, noise and vibration, air quality, waste and pollution. Grid connection and cable details statement This draft statement provides details of the proposed cable routes both onshore and offshore, electrical system technology, installation methods and onshore connection works to the existing National Grid substation at Creyke Beck, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Statutory Nuisance Statement This draft statement provides additional detail on the matters set out in Section 79(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in respect of statutory nuisances. It is not expected that the construction or operation of Dogger Bank Creyke Beck would result in a statutory nuisance. Decommissioning Statement This document outlines the draft decommissioning strategy that the operators of Dogger Bank Creyke Beck will follow once the lifetime of the development is complete. This includes the method of decommissioning of both offshore and onshore elements and any remediation or mitigation measures proposed. Safety Zone Statement The draft Safety Zone Statement relates to the offshore development only and states that the current intention is to apply for safety zones of 500 metres during the construction phase of the wind farm, with ‘Charted Advisory Safety Areas’ during the operational phase.


August 2013

Consultation Report Appendix E4 - 16.04.2013 Cover letter to Section 42 and Non-stat



Our ref: CBPEI304 16 April 2013 Dear

Reference: NOTICE OF FINAL PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION Further to our previous correspondence about the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck offshore wind development, this letter is to inform you that the next and final stage of Forewind’s statutory consultation will begin on 19 April 2013. Responses must be received by Forewind by 5pm on Tuesday 11 June 2013. Forewind and Dogger Bank Creyke Beck

Forewind is a consortium comprising four leading international energy companies; SSE, RWE, Statoil and Statkraft which came together to develop the Dogger Bank Zone, located a minimum of 125 kilometres from the UK’s shore. Dogger Bank Creyke Beck is the first development within the zone, and it comprises two offshore wind farms, Dogger Bank Creyke Beck A and Dogger Bank Creyke Beck B, with a proposed total installed capacity of up to 2.4 gigawatts (2,400 megawatts) together with the development described below. Consenting process

An offshore wind farm of more than 100 megawatts constitutes a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, which needs to be determined under the process set out in the Planning Act 2008. An application for a single Development Consent Order (DCO) will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate later in 2013 to seek consent to build and operate the two offshore wind farms which together form Dogger Bank Creyke Beck. This one application will encompass the development required to construct and operate these two offshore wind farms along with the onshore and offshore associated infrastructure. Environmental impact assessment

An Environmental Impact Assessment, in line with the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2009, is well underway. The initial findings of this assessment, including mitigation proposed to remove or minimise adverse environmental effects, are documented within a draft Environmental Statement which is available as part of this consultation. The full description of the project is provided in Chapter 5 – Project Description of the draft Environmental Statement. In brief, the Development Consent Order application will seek consent for:







• connection works to the National Grid substation. Purpose of this consultation






• Plans showing the location of the proposed development, set out in Figures 2.7 and 2.8 in Chapter 5 of the Draft Environmental Statement;


• Other draft application documents, as detailed in Annex 1. Consultees

Forewind is consulting all consultees prescribed by Schedule 1 of the Infrastructure Planning (Application: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009, as amended, in accordance with Section 42(1)(a) of the Planning Act 2008. Additional non-prescribed bodies with an interest in the proposals are being consulted, as well as:

• the Marine Management Organisation, in accordance with Section 42 (1)(aa) of the Planning Act 2008;


• landowners and anyone with an interest in the land (onshore and/or offshore) which is likely to be affected by the proposals, as identified in accordance with Section 44 of the Planning Act 2008;


• the local community, in accordance with Section 47 of the Planning Act 2008 and the Statement of Community Consultation.


Due to the number of documents produced, not all documents are being sent to all consultees as a matter of course, however all of the documents listed above and in Annex 1 are available on request from Forewind. The main consultation documents are the draft Environmental Statement, Non-Technical Summary, Community Consultation Summary and draft Habitats Regulations Report. These are being distributed by DVD (enclosed with this letter) and will also be available online from 18 April 2013 at www.forewind.co.uk. Alternatively, hard copies of the draft Environmental Statement can be inspected during the consultation period at a number of local libraries as detailed on the enclosed Section 48 Notice, or purchased at cost price (£600) by contacting Forewind. Additional DVDs and hard copies of the Non-Technical Summary are available free of charge. Public exhibitions will be held in the local area, which you are also very welcome to attend. The consultation documents will all be available to inspect at these events. Details are included in the enclosed copy of the Section 48 Notice and on our website www.forewind.co.uk. Section 48 Notice

Enclosed is a copy of the Section 48 Notice that Forewind will publish in various national and local newspapers over the next couple of weeks, in accordance with Section 48 of the Planning Act 2008. The Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 set out the matters to be included within that notice (Regulation 4(3)) and we are providing you with a copy of this Notice to meet our obligations under Regulation 11 of the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2009. Key issues we are consulting on

The purpose of this consultation is to seek views and feedback on the proposals to allow stakeholders to influence the way Dogger Bank Creyke Beck is developed. Since the initial consultation, and having taken into account the responses received, Forewind has now established some elements of the development and changed others. The changes listed below are included within the project description in Chapter 5 and any impacts are assessed within the draft Environmental Statement:






• a reduced maximum number of wind turbines.



Until final design work is carried out after consent, it is necessary to maintain some flexibility in the development; this is known as the ‘Rochdale envelope’ approach. Therefore, maximum and minimum parameters for key elements of infrastructure have been used to inform a realistic worst case approach to the environmental assessment. The reasons for the parameters proposed are set out in individual chapters of the draft Environmental Statement, particularly Chapter 6 - Assessment of Alternatives. While Forewind welcomes feedback on all aspects of the proposed development, there remain some key decisions to make prior to the final application. Forewind is particularly interested to find out stakeholder opinions on these, as set out below: Offshore

i. Birds: Comments are sought on the methodology used in the ornithological chapter of the Environmental Statement and the Habitats Regulations Assessment and how the results are presented. In particular in relation to:

apportionment of impacts to protected sites, including breeding seabirds and non-breeding seabirds;

displacement, including species displacement rates, species mortality rates and the use of displacement/mortality rates matrices;

barrier effects; and

collision risk.

ii. Cumulative impact assessment: There is no prescribed method for cumulative impact assessment. Views are sought on Forewind’s selected approach as set out in the appendix to Chapter 4 of the draft Environmental Statement, which includes other projects within the Dogger Bank Zone. This strategy has been applied throughout the offshore chapters of the Environmental Statement.

iii. Final layout of the turbines: The final layout of the turbines within the boundary of each wind farm has not been specified at this stage as some flexibility needs to be maintained post-consent. However, to address the concerns of relevant stakeholders, such as the Marine and Coastguard Agency and fishermen, Forewind has drafted some ‘layout rules’ to aid mariners and fishermen in their navigation of the area. These layout rules are set out within Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement and referenced in the Development Consent Order.

iv. Offshore in-zone export cables: The exit points of the export cables from the zone have yet to be determined, so views are sought on any environmental or other matters which may influence the final decision. The broad areas under consideration are likely to be refined following the consultation.

Onshore








Since the environmental assessment work for this consultation was finalised, the proposed development has progressed and further options for some parts of the project have now become attractive. These were not evident before or did not appear to be available or required. As a result, views are sought on the options and parameters listed below which are described, along with a summary of likely environmental effects, within Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement. It should be noted that the individual assessment chapters do not yet reflect this updated assessment. For those elements which are taken forward into the final application further detail will be provided within the final Environmental Statement where relevant, taking into account feedback from this consultation. Forewind therefore seeks comments on any considerations which relate to these options. Reference to Sections and Figures below all relate to Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement.


ii. Offshore inter-project cables and cable corridor: Additional cables may be required to provide a link between the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck wind farm development areas (linking Creyke Beck A and Creyke Beck B) to provide flexibility in the transmission network. The nature and location of

these cables are described in more detail in Section 2.1.12 and the proposed broad area of search for a connection corridor is shown in Figure 2.6.

iii. Offshore Temporary work areas: During the construction period there may be a need for temporary work areas, within which vessels may carry out intrusive activities, for example cable construction vessels requiring space for anchor spreads alongside the cable corridors. To accommodate this, a temporary construction area will surround both the offshore cable corridor route and the wind farm development areas, as shown in Figure 2.7.





Compulsory Purchase

If deemed necessary, powers of compulsory acquisition of land and/or rights over land may be sought in connection with the proposed onshore infrastructure. All persons with an interest in the land identified at this stage, such as landowners or anyone with rights in the land are being consulted. These discussions are continuing so only once the land interests have been fully identified and agreements entered into with landowners where possible, will the full extent of the compulsory purchase requirement be known. These details will be provided with the final application. How to respond to the consultation

This consultation formally commences on 19 April 2013. Forewind must receive responses back by 11 June 2013 in order to ensure their consideration. Responses can be submitted in person at the public exhibitions, or by: email: [email protected] Online: www.forewind.co.uk Freephone: 0800 975 5636


Any representations should indicate who is making the response, which organisation is represented and a contact address and email to which any further correspondence

The Section 48 Notice will summarise the main project proposals, will specify the location and route of the proposed development, and will explain where you can access further copies of the consultation documents (such as libraries). Forewind welcomes any comments or feedback on the proposals. Please be aware that once a DCO application has been submitted, the 2008 Act lays down a strict timetable which means that it is not normally possible for further substantial changes to be made to the application. If you want to influence the project, you should take part in the forthcoming pre-application consultation process. At this stage, and until the DCO application is submitted, your comments should be sent directly to Forewind. Details of how to do this and the deadline by which responses must be received, will be provided in the Section 48 Notice and in the cover letter. Consultation events During the next consultation period, Forewind will hold a series of community consultation events which we encourage you to attend. Details of dates and venues will be included in the Section 48 Notice and cover letter and will also be published on the Forewind website. We hope the information contained in this letter usefully outlines what opportunities you will have, as a landowner, to submit your comments on our proposals. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Yours sincerely,

Nikki Young Stakeholder Manager


DVD 1 – Preliminary Environmental Information (enclosed) Draft Environmental Statement and Non-Technical Summary This document consists of chapters relating to assessment of both onshore and offshore elements of the project and makes an independent assessment of the project's likely significant environmental effects on the existing baseline conditions, taking into account any mitigation suggested. An overview of the findings can be found within the Non-Technical Summary. The chapters of the draft Environmental Statement are as follows: 1 Introduction 2 Project Need 3 Legislation and Policy 4 EIA process 5 Project Description 6 Assessment of Alternatives 7 Consultation 8 Designated Sites 9 Marine Physical Processes 10 Marine Water & Sediment Quality 11 Marine & Coastal Ornithology 12 Marine & Inter-tidal Ecology 13 Fish and shellfish 14 Marine mammals 15 Commercial Fisheries 16 Shipping & Navigation 17 Other Marine Users 18 Marine/Coastal Archaeology


Plans Plans showing the location of the proposed development are set out in Figure 2.7 and Figure 2.8 within Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement, and indicative Works Plans are provided along with the draft Development Consent Order to show the positioning of each work area. Draft Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) Report This document makes an assessment of Dogger Bank Creyke Beck with respect to its potential to have a likely significant effect on European sites of nature conservation importance. Responses to this document are sought to inform the final HRA report to be submitted with the application, along with screening and integrity matrices, to inform the decision-maker’s final appropriate assessment. Community Consultation Summary This is a non-technical summary of the proposals produced specifically for the local community at this final stage of consultation.

DVD 2 – Other Draft Application Documents (available on request) Draft Development Consent Order The Development Consent Order is the Statutory Instrument which, if approved, will provide consent under the Planning Act 2008 to construct and operate the offshore wind farm and associated infrastructure. It also has the ability to grant deemed consent for a Marine Licence under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. The document sets out the limits within which the development must be constructed and secures mitigation through requirements and conditions. A summary of the document is also provided for ease of reference. Planning and Design Statement This draft statement sets out, for consultation purposes, a framework for the final Planning and Design Statement to be submitted with the application. It considers the relevant national and local policies and considerations in decision-making in accordance with Section 104 of the Planning Act 2008. In addition, the design considerations undertaken throughout the development process are articulated within this document. Code of Construction Practice This is a draft of the outline Code of Construction Practice to be submitted along with the application. It will include predicted impacts of construction and mitigation to address these. The Code relates to onshore construction activities only and will cover various subject areas including traffic and transport, noise and vibration, air quality, waste and pollution. Grid connection and cable details statement This draft statement provides details of the proposed cable routes both onshore and offshore, electrical system technology, installation methods and onshore connection works to the existing National Grid substation at Creyke Beck, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Statutory Nuisance Statement This draft statement provides additional detail on the matters set out in Section 79(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in respect of statutory nuisances. It is not expected that the construction or operation of Dogger Bank Creyke Beck would result in a statutory nuisance. Decommissioning Statement This document outlines the draft decommissioning strategy that the operators of Dogger Bank Creyke Beck will follow once the lifetime of the development is complete. This includes the method of decommissioning of both offshore and onshore elements and any remediation or mitigation measures proposed. Safety Zone Statement The draft Safety Zone Statement relates to the offshore development only and states that the current intention is to apply for safety zones of 500 metres during the construction phase of the wind farm, with ‘Charted Advisory Safety Areas’ during the operational phase.


August 2013

Consultation Report Appendix E5 - 03.04.2013 Pre-notice letter to Section 42(1)(d)



ADDRESS 1 ADDRESS 2 ADDRESS 3 POST CODE

Date 3 April 2013

Our ref INSERT REF

Dear INSERT NAME, DOGGER BANK CREYKE BECK – FINAL CONSULTATION WITH LANDOWNERS AND THOSE WITH AN INTEREST IN THE LAND I am writing to you further to our previous correspondence about Dogger Bank Creyke Beck (“The Project”), which Forewind Limited (“Forewind”) has been awarded the rights to develop. The purpose of this letter is to outline the next stage of the consultation process which you will be invited to take part in as you have an interest in land required for, or affected by, The Project. Please be aware that Dalcour Maclaren will continue to negotiate with you or with your land agent as a separate activity, with a view to securing the necessary land rights for The Project. Consultation requirements Dogger Bank Creyke Beck has been classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) for the purposes of the Planning Act 2008 (the 2008 Act). This means that Forewind needs to apply to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for a Development Consent Order (DCO) - a form of planning permission. If granted, this would allow the construction, operation and decommissioning of The Project. Before Forewind submits the application for a DCO, it has to comply with the pre-application consultation requirements as stated in Section 42 of the 2008 Act. As part of this process, Forewind is required to consult with all those who own or have an interest in the land affected by the project. Forewind has taken a two stage approach to this consultation. As you may recall, the first stage was in December 2011 to January 2012. Next stage of the consultation process

Forewind will shortly commence the second and final stage of the pre-application consultation process. We encourage you to take this opportunity to submit your comments on the proposals. In a couple of weeks, Forewind will send you a notification (under Section 42 (d) of the 2008 Act) to inform you that the consultation period is about to begin. The notification will include:

a cover letter setting out the consultation process and the deadline for responses;

a copy of the notice to be published in newspapers under Section 48 of the 2008 Act;

a landowner factsheet covering frequently asked questions;

a DVD copy of the consultation documents which will include a Draft Environmental Statement (ES), a Draft Non-Technical Summary of the ES and the Community Consultation Summary. The draft ES will set out what the proposals involve and where they are sited, the anticipated effects of the development both onshore and offshore, and any proposed mitigation measures.

The Section 48 Notice will summarise the main project proposals, will specify the location and route of the proposed development, and will explain where you can access further copies of the consultation documents (such as libraries). Forewind welcomes any comments or feedback on the proposals. Please be aware that once a DCO application has been submitted, the 2008 Act lays down a strict timetable which means that it is not normally possible for further substantial changes to be made to the application. If you want to influence the project, you should take part in the forthcoming pre-application consultation process. At this stage, and until the DCO application is submitted, your comments should be sent directly to Forewind. Details of how to do this and the deadline by which responses must be received, will be provided in the Section 48 Notice and in the cover letter. Consultation events During the next consultation period, Forewind will hold a series of community consultation events which we encourage you to attend. Details of dates and venues will be included in the Section 48 Notice and cover letter and will also be published on the Forewind website. We hope the information contained in this letter usefully outlines what opportunities you will have, as a landowner, to submit your comments on our proposals. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Yours sincerely,

Nikki Young Stakeholder Manager


August 2013

Consultation Report Appendix E6 - 16.04.2013 Cover Letter to Section 42(1)(d)



Our ref: CBPEI307 Recipient's name Company name Address line 1 Address line 2 Address line 3 17 April 2013 Dear Landowner's name

Reference: NOTICE OF FINAL PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION Further to our previous correspondence about the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck offshore wind development, this letter is to inform you that the next and final stage of Forewind’s statutory consultation will begin on 19 April 2013. Responses must be received by Forewind by 5pm on Tuesday 11 June 2013. Forewind and Dogger Bank Creyke Beck


An offshore wind farm of more than 100 megawatts constitutes a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, which needs to be determined under the process set out in the Planning Act 2008. An application for a single Development Consent Order (DCO) will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate later in 2013 to seek consent to build and operate the two offshore wind farms which together form Dogger Bank Creyke Beck. This one application will encompass the development required to construct and operate these two offshore wind farms along with the onshore and offshore associated infrastructure. Environmental impact assessment








• connection works to the National Grid substation.

Compulsory Purchase

If deemed necessary, powers of compulsory acquisition of land and/or rights over land may be sought in connection with the proposed onshore infrastructure. All persons with an interest in the land identified at this stage, such as landowners or anyone with rights in the land are being consulted. Discussions are continuing with those directly affected by Forewind’s proposals. Compulsory purchase will only be sought through the development consent order application where private agreements have not been possible prior to submission. Purpose of this consultation








• Other draft application documents, as detailed in Annex 1.

We have also produced a factsheet specifically for landowners, occupiers and tenants, which is enclosed with this letter.

Who is Forewind consulting?

Forewind is consulting all landowners and anyone with an interest in the land (onshore and/or offshore) which is likely to be affected by the proposals, as identified in accordance with Section 44 of the Planning Act 2008. The following stakeholders are also being consulted at this stage:

• consultees prescribed by Schedule 1 of the Infrastructure Planning (Application: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009, as amended, in accordance with Section 42(1)(a) of the Planning Act 2008, and other non-prescribed bodies with an interest in the proposals;

• the Marine Management Organisation;



• the local community, as defined by the Statement of Community Consultation.


Due to the number of documents produced, not all documents are being sent to all consultees as a matter of course, however all of the documents listed above and in Annex 1 are available on request from Forewind. The main consultation documents are the draft Environmental Statement, Non-Technical Summary, Community Consultation Summary and draft Habitats Regulations Report. These are being distributed by DVD (enclosed with this letter) and will also be available online from 18 April 2013 at www.forewind.co.uk. Alternatively, hard copies of the draft Environmental Statement can be inspected during the consultation period at a number of local libraries as detailed on the enclosed Section 48 Notice, or purchased at cost price (£600) by contacting Forewind. Additional DVDs and hard copies of the Non-Technical Summary are available free of charge. Public exhibitions will be held in the local area, which you are also very welcome to attend. The consultation documents will all be available to inspect at these events and our land agent will be available to answer any questions. Details are included in the enclosed copy of the Section 48 Notice and on our website www.forewind.co.uk. Enclosed is a copy of the Section 48 Notice that Forewind will publish in various national and local newspapers over the next couple of weeks, in accordance with Section 48 of the Planning Act 2008. Key issues we are consulting on

The purpose of this consultation is to seek views and feedback on the proposals to allow stakeholders to influence the way Dogger Bank Creyke Beck is developed. Since the initial consultation, and having taken into account the responses received, Forewind has now established some elements of the development and changed


others. The changes listed below are included within the project description in Chapter 5 and any impacts are assessed within the draft Environmental Statement:






• a reduced maximum number of wind turbines. Until final design work is carried out after consent, it is necessary to maintain some flexibility in the development; this is known as the ‘Rochdale envelope’ approach. Therefore, maximum and minimum parameters for key elements of infrastructure have been used to inform a realistic worst case approach to the environmental assessment. The reasons for the parameters proposed are set out in the draft Environmental Statement, particularly Chapter 6 - Assessment of Alternatives. While Forewind welcomes feedback on all aspects of the proposed development, there remain some key decisions to make prior to the final application. Forewind is particularly interested to find out stakeholder opinions on these, as set out below: Offshore

i. Birds: Comments are sought on the methodology used in the ornithological chapter of the draft Environmental Statement and the draft Habitats Regulations Assessment and how the results are presented.

ii. Cumulative impact assessment: There is no prescribed method for cumulative impact assessment. Views are sought on Forewind’s selected approach as set out in the appendix to Chapter 4 of the draft Environmental Statement, which includes other projects within the Dogger Bank Zone. This strategy has been applied throughout the offshore chapters.

iii. Final layout of the turbines: The final layout of the turbines within the boundary of each wind farm has not been specified at this stage as some flexibility needs to be maintained post-consent. However, to address the concerns of relevant stakeholders, such as the Marine and Coastguard Agency and fishermen, Forewind has drafted some ‘layout rules’ to aid mariners and fishermen in their navigation of the area. These layout rules are set out within Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement and referenced in the draft Development Consent Order.

iv. Offshore in-zone export cables: The exit points of the export cables from the zone have yet to be determined, so views are sought on any environmental or other matters which may influence the final decision. The broad areas under consideration are likely to be refined after the consultation.

Onshore








Since the environmental assessment work for this consultation was finalised, the proposed development has progressed and further options for some parts of the project have now become attractive. These were not evident before or did not appear to be available or required. As a result, views are sought on the options and parameters listed below which are described, along with a summary of likely environmental effects, within Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement. It should be noted that the individual assessment chapters do not yet reflect this updated assessment. For those elements which are taken forward into the final application further detail will be provided within the final Environmental Statement where relevant, taking into account feedback from this consultation. Forewind therefore seeks comments on any considerations which relate to these options. Reference to Sections and Figures below all relate to Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement.


ii. Offshore inter-project cables and cable corridor: Additional cables may be required to provide a link between the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck wind farm development areas (linking Creyke Beck A and Creyke Beck B) to

provide flexibility in the transmission network. The nature and location of these cables are described in more detail in Section 2.1.12 and the proposed broad area of search for a connection corridor is shown in Figure 2.6.

iii. Offshore temporary work areas: During the construction period there may be a need for temporary work areas, within which vessels may carry out intrusive activities, for example cable construction vessels requiring space for anchor spreads alongside the cable corridors. To accommodate this, a temporary construction area will surround both the offshore cable corridor route and the wind farm development areas, as shown in Figure 2.7.






This consultation formally commences on 19 April 2013. Forewind must receive responses back by 11 June 2013 in order to ensure their consideration. Responses can be submitted in person at the public exhibitions or by: email: [email protected] Online: www.forewind.co.uk Freephone: 0800 975 5636


Any representations should indicate who is making the response, which organisation is represented (if relevant) and a contact address and email to which any further correspondence relating to the submission may be sent. In addition, for Forewind to effectively take account of the responses, we would appreciate comments being categorised by headings which specify the draft Environmental Statement chapter or document to which you are referring. This is the final statutory pre-application consultation therefore please note that responses will be recorded within a Consultation Report, which will be a public document submitted with the application.

Next stages

Comments received in response to this consultation will be considered and incorporated (where appropriate) into the final application for development consent and the Environmental Statement to be submitted with the application. The outcome of this consultation, and previous consultations, will be documented in the Consultation Report submitted with the application. This will set out where relevant responses have been included, and where they have not been included will explain the reasons for this. Yours sincerely,

Nikki Young Stakeholder Manager Forewind Enclosures:

1. Annex 1 – summary of the documents available for consultation 2. Notice to be published in accordance with Section 48 of the Planning Act 2008 3. DVD 1 – Preliminary Environmental Information 4. Landowner factsheet


DVD 1 – Preliminary Environmental Information (enclosed) Community Consultation Summary This is a non-technical summary of the proposals produced specifically for the local community at this final stage of consultation. Draft Environmental Statement and Non-Technical Summary This document consists of chapters relating to assessment of both onshore and offshore elements of the project and makes an independent assessment of the project's likely significant environmental effects on the existing baseline conditions, taking into account any mitigation suggested. An overview of the findings can be found within the Non-Technical Summary. The chapters of the draft Environmental Statement are as follows: 1 Introduction 2 Project Need 3 Legislation and Policy 4 EIA process 5 Project Description 6 Assessment of Alternatives 7 Consultation 8 Designated Sites 9 Marine Physical Processes 10 Marine Water & Sediment Quality 11 Marine & Coastal Ornithology 12 Marine & Inter-tidal Ecology 13 Fish and shellfish 14 Marine mammals 15 Commercial Fisheries 16 Shipping & Navigation 17 Other Marine Users 18 Marine/Coastal Archaeology


Plans Plans showing the location of the proposed development are set out in Figure 2.7 and Figure 2.8 within Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement, and indicative Works Plans are provided along with the draft Development Consent Order to show the positioning of each work area. Draft Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) Report This document makes an assessment of Dogger Bank Creyke Beck with respect to its potential to have a likely significant effect on European sites of nature conservation importance. Responses to this document are sought to inform the final HRA report to be submitted with the application, along with screening and integrity matrices, to inform the decision-maker’s final appropriate assessment.

DVD 2 – Other Draft Application Documents (available on request) Draft Development Consent Order The Development Consent Order is the Statutory Instrument which, if approved, will provide consent under the Planning Act 2008 to construct and operate the offshore wind farm and associated infrastructure. It also has the ability to grant deemed consent for a Marine Licence under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. The document sets out the limits within which the development must be constructed and secures mitigation through requirements and conditions. A summary of the document is also provided for ease of reference. Planning and Design Statement This draft statement sets out, for consultation purposes, a framework for the final Planning and Design Statement to be submitted with the application. It considers the relevant national and local policies and considerations in decision-making in accordance with Section 104 of the Planning Act 2008. In addition, the design considerations undertaken throughout the development process are articulated within this document. Code of Construction Practice This is a draft of the outline Code of Construction Practice to be submitted along with the application. It will include predicted impacts of construction and mitigation to address these. The Code relates to onshore construction activities only and will cover various subject areas including traffic and transport, noise and vibration, air quality, waste and pollution. Grid connection and cable details statement This draft statement provides details of the proposed cable routes both onshore and offshore, electrical system technology, installation methods and onshore connection works to the existing National Grid substation at Creyke Beck, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Statutory Nuisance Statement This draft statement provides additional detail on the matters set out in Section 79(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in respect of statutory nuisances. It is not expected that the construction or operation of Dogger Bank Creyke Beck would result in a statutory nuisance. Decommissioning Statement This document outlines the draft decommissioning strategy that the operators of Dogger Bank Creyke Beck will follow once the lifetime of the development is complete. This includes the method of decommissioning of both offshore and onshore elements and any remediation or mitigation measures proposed. Safety Zone Statement The draft Safety Zone Statement relates to the offshore development only and states that the current intention is to apply for safety zones of 500 metres during the construction phase of the wind farm, with ‘Charted Advisory Safety Areas’ during the operational phase.


August 2013

Consultation Report Appendix E7 - Additional S42(1)(d) Consultation Cover Letter



Our ref: CBPEI325 21 June 2013 Dear

Reference: FINAL PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION ON DOGGER BANK CREYKE BECK OFFSHORE WIND FARM

We have recently become aware that you have an interest in land which may be directly affected by our proposals. We apologise that we had not identified this at the start of our recent consultation period (19 April to 11 June) and that you were not, therefore, sent the full suite of preliminary environmental information about the project. In order to ensure that you have all the information and that you have had a fair opportunity to respond, please find below and enclosed on DVD, preliminary environmental information about the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck proposals. This information is the same as that distributed to all landowners, occupiers and tenants that we were aware of at the start of the recent consultation process. Responses must be received by Forewind by 5pm on Monday 22 July 2013 to ensure their consideration. If you have already sent your comments to us as part of the consultation that ended on 11 June, you do not need to provide them again as we have recorded them and are considering them already. If you have any questions about this, please don’t hesitate to contact us via one of the methods listed below. Forewind and Dogger Bank Creyke Beck


An offshore wind farm of more than 100 megawatts constitutes a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, which needs to be determined under the process set out in the Planning Act 2008. An application for a single Development Consent Order (DCO) will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate later in 2013 to seek consent to build and operate the two offshore wind farms which together form Dogger Bank Creyke Beck. This one application will encompass the development required to construct and operate these two offshore wind farms along with the onshore and offshore associated infrastructure.

Environmental impact assessment








• connection works to the National Grid substation.

Compulsory Purchase

If deemed necessary, powers of compulsory acquisition of land and/or rights over land may be sought in connection with the proposed onshore infrastructure. All persons with an interest in the land identified at this stage, such as landowners or anyone with rights in the land are being consulted. Discussions are continuing with those directly affected by Forewind’s proposals. Compulsory purchase will only be sought through the development consent order application where private agreements have not been possible prior to submission. Purpose of this consultation








• Other draft application documents, as detailed in Annex 1.

We have also produced a factsheet specifically for landowners, occupiers and tenants, which is enclosed with this letter. Who is Forewind consulting?

Forewind is consulting all landowners and anyone with an interest in the land (onshore and/or offshore) which is likely to be affected by the proposals, as identified in accordance with Section 44 of the Planning Act 2008. The following stakeholders are also being consulted at this stage:

• consultees prescribed by Schedule 1 of the Infrastructure Planning (Application: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009, as amended, in accordance with Section 42(1)(a) of the Planning Act 2008, and other non-prescribed bodies with an interest in the proposals;

• the Marine Management Organisation;



• the local community, as defined by the Statement of Community Consultation.


Due to the number of documents produced, not all documents are being sent to all consultees as a matter of course, however all of the documents listed above and in Annex 1 are available on request from Forewind. The main consultation documents are the draft Environmental Statement, Non-Technical Summary, Community Consultation Summary and draft Habitats Regulations Report. These are being distributed by DVD (enclosed with this letter) and will also be available online from 18 April 2013 at www.forewind.co.uk. Alternatively, hard copies of the draft Environmental Statement can be inspected during the consultation period at a number of local libraries as detailed on the enclosed Section 48 Notice, or purchased at cost price (£600) by contacting Forewind. Additional DVDs and hard copies of the Non-Technical Summary are available free of charge. Public exhibitions will be held in the local area, which you are also very welcome to attend. The consultation documents will all be available to inspect at these events and our land agent will be available to answer any questions. Details are included in the enclosed copy of the Section 48 Notice and on our website www.forewind.co.uk.


Enclosed is a copy of the Section 48 Notice that Forewind will publish in various national and local newspapers over the next couple of weeks, in accordance with Section 48 of the Planning Act 2008. Key issues we are consulting on

The purpose of this consultation is to seek views and feedback on the proposals to allow stakeholders to influence the way Dogger Bank Creyke Beck is developed. Since the initial consultation, and having taken into account the responses received, Forewind has now established some elements of the development and changed others. The changes listed below are included within the project description in Chapter 5 and any impacts are assessed within the draft Environmental Statement:






• a reduced maximum number of wind turbines. Until final design work is carried out after consent, it is necessary to maintain some flexibility in the development; this is known as the ‘Rochdale envelope’ approach. Therefore, maximum and minimum parameters for key elements of infrastructure have been used to inform a realistic worst case approach to the environmental assessment. The reasons for the parameters proposed are set out in the draft Environmental Statement, particularly Chapter 6 - Assessment of Alternatives. While Forewind welcomes feedback on all aspects of the proposed development, there remain some key decisions to make prior to the final application. Forewind is particularly interested to find out stakeholder opinions on these, as set out below: Offshore

i. Birds: Comments are sought on the methodology used in the ornithological chapter of the draft Environmental Statement and the draft Habitats Regulations Assessment and how the results are presented.

ii. Cumulative impact assessment: There is no prescribed method for cumulative impact assessment. Views are sought on Forewind’s selected approach as set out in the appendix to Chapter 4 of the draft Environmental Statement, which includes other projects within the Dogger Bank Zone. This strategy has been applied throughout the offshore chapters.

iii. Final layout of the turbines: The final layout of the turbines within the boundary of each wind farm has not been specified at this stage as some flexibility needs to be maintained post-consent. However, to address the concerns of relevant stakeholders, such as the Marine and Coastguard Agency and fishermen, Forewind has drafted some ‘layout rules’ to aid

mariners and fishermen in their navigation of the area. These layout rules are set out within Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement and referenced in the draft Development Consent Order.

iv. Offshore in-zone export cables: The exit points of the export cables from the zone have yet to be determined, so views are sought on any environmental or other matters which may influence the final decision. The broad areas under consideration are likely to be refined after the consultation.

Onshore








Since the environmental assessment work for this consultation was finalised, the proposed development has progressed and further options for some parts of the project have now become attractive. These were not evident before or did not appear to be available or required. As a result, views are sought on the options and parameters listed below which are described, along with a summary of likely environmental effects, within Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement. It should be noted that the individual assessment chapters do not yet reflect this updated assessment. For those elements which are taken forward into the final application further detail will be provided within the final Environmental Statement where relevant, taking into account feedback from this consultation. Forewind therefore seeks comments on any considerations which relate to these options.

Reference to Sections and Figures below all relate to Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement.


ii. Offshore inter-project cables and cable corridor: Additional cables may be required to provide a link between the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck wind farm development areas (linking Creyke Beck A and Creyke Beck B) to provide flexibility in the transmission network. The nature and location of these cables are described in more detail in Section 2.1.12 and the proposed broad area of search for a connection corridor is shown in Figure 2.6.

iii. Offshore temporary work areas: During the construction period there may be a need for temporary work areas, within which vessels may carry out intrusive activities, for example cable construction vessels requiring space for anchor spreads alongside the cable corridors. To accommodate this, a temporary construction area will surround both the offshore cable corridor route and the wind farm development areas, as shown in Figure 2.7.






This consultation formally commences on 19 April 2013. Forewind must receive responses back by 11 June 2013 in order to ensure their consideration. Responses can be submitted in person at the public exhibitions or by: email: [email protected] Online: www.forewind.co.uk Freephone: 0800 975 5636


Any representations should indicate who is making the response, which organisation is represented (if relevant) and a contact address and email to which any further correspondence relating to the submission may be sent. In addition, for Forewind to effectively take account of the responses, we would appreciate comments being categorised by headings which specify the draft Environmental Statement chapter or document to which you are referring. This is the final statutory pre-application consultation therefore please note that responses will be recorded within a Consultation Report, which will be a public document submitted with the application. Next stages

Comments received in response to this consultation will be considered and incorporated (where appropriate) into the final application for development consent and the Environmental Statement to be submitted with the application. The outcome of this consultation, and previous consultations, will be documented in the Consultation Report submitted with the application. This will set out where relevant responses have been included, and where they have not been included will explain the reasons for this. Yours sincerely,

Nikki Young Stakeholder Manager Forewind Enclosures:

1. Annex 1 – summary of the documents available for consultation 2. Notice to be published in accordance with Section 48 of the Planning Act 2008 3. DVD 1 – Preliminary Environmental Information 4. Landowner factsheet


DVD 1 – Preliminary Environmental Information (enclosed) Community Consultation Summary This is a non-technical summary of the proposals produced specifically for the local community at this final stage of consultation. Draft Environmental Statement and Non-Technical Summary This document consists of chapters relating to assessment of both onshore and offshore elements of the project and makes an independent assessment of the project's likely significant environmental effects on the existing baseline conditions, taking into account any mitigation suggested. An overview of the findings can be found within the Non-Technical Summary. The chapters of the draft Environmental Statement are as follows: 1 Introduction 2 Project Need 3 Legislation and Policy 4 EIA process 5 Project Description 6 Assessment of Alternatives 7 Consultation 8 Designated Sites 9 Marine Physical Processes 10 Marine Water & Sediment Quality 11 Marine & Coastal Ornithology 12 Marine & Inter-tidal Ecology 13 Fish and shellfish 14 Marine mammals 15 Commercial Fisheries 16 Shipping & Navigation 17 Other Marine Users 18 Marine/Coastal Archaeology 19 Military Activities 20 Civil Aviation 21a Landscape Visual Character 21b Seascape Visual Character 22 Socio-economics 23 Tourism & Recreation 24 Geology, Water Resources & Land 25 Terrestrial Ecology 26 Land Use & Agriculture 27 Terrestrial Archaeology 28 Traffic and Access 29 Noise 30 Air Quality 31 Interrelationships 32 Transboundary Effects 33 Cumulative Impact Assessment

34 Conclusions 35 Summary - Monitoring & Mitigation

Plans Plans showing the location of the proposed development are set out in Figure 2.7 and Figure 2.8 within Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement, and indicative Works Plans are provided along with the draft Development Consent Order to show the positioning of each work area. Draft Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) Report This document makes an assessment of Dogger Bank Creyke Beck with respect to its potential to have a likely significant effect on European sites of nature conservation importance. Responses to this document are sought to inform the final HRA report to be submitted with the application, along with screening and integrity matrices, to inform the decision-maker’s final appropriate assessment.

DVD 2 – Other Draft Application Documents (available on request) Draft Development Consent Order The Development Consent Order is the Statutory Instrument which, if approved, will provide consent under the Planning Act 2008 to construct and operate the offshore wind farm and associated infrastructure. It also has the ability to grant deemed consent for a Marine Licence under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. The document sets out the limits within which the development must be constructed and secures mitigation through requirements and conditions. A summary of the document is also provided for ease of reference. Planning and Design Statement This draft statement sets out, for consultation purposes, a framework for the final Planning and Design Statement to be submitted with the application. It considers the relevant national and local policies and considerations in decision-making in accordance with Section 104 of the Planning Act 2008. In addition, the design considerations undertaken throughout the development process are articulated within this document. Code of Construction Practice This is a draft of the outline Code of Construction Practice to be submitted along with the application. It will include predicted impacts of construction and mitigation to address these. The Code relates to onshore construction activities only and will cover various subject areas including traffic and transport, noise and vibration, air quality, waste and pollution. Grid connection and cable details statement This draft statement provides details of the proposed cable routes both onshore and offshore, electrical system technology, installation methods and onshore connection works to the existing National Grid substation at Creyke Beck, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Statutory Nuisance Statement This draft statement provides additional detail on the matters set out in Section 79(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in respect of statutory nuisances. It is not

expected that the construction or operation of Dogger Bank Creyke Beck would result in a statutory nuisance. Decommissioning Statement This document outlines the draft decommissioning strategy that the operators of Dogger Bank Creyke Beck will follow once the lifetime of the development is complete. This includes the method of decommissioning of both offshore and onshore elements and any remediation or mitigation measures proposed. Safety Zone Statement

The draft Safety Zone Statement relates to the offshore development only and states that the current intention is to apply for safety zones of 500 metres during the construction phase of the wind farm, with ‘Charted Advisory Safety Areas’ during the operational phase.


August 2013

Consultation Report Appendix E8 - Landowner Factsheet



Meaningful and effective stakeholder engagement is key to the development of Dogger Bank Creyke Beck, and Forewind will continue to consult with all relevant stakeholders, particularly landowners, tenants and occupiers.

Development of Dogger Bank Creyke BeckDogger Bank Creyke Beck will comprise two wind farms (Dogger Bank Creyke Beck A and Dogger Bank Creyke Beck B) each with a generating capacity of up to 1.2 gigawatts (GW). In total it will be up to 2.4 GW and will comprise up to 600 turbines, depending on the size selected, which will generate around eight terawatt hours (TWh) per annum. This is almost enough green energy to power all the homes in the Yorkshire and the Humber every year.

Following this final stage of pre-application consultation, Forewind will submit a single planning application for a development consent order to the Planning Inspectorate. This will seek consent to construct, operate and decommission both wind farms. It may take up to 15 months for the application to be determined and therefore construction would start, at the earliest, in 2016. The indicative development programme for Dogger Bank Creyke Beck is (see table top right):

Date ActivityQ4 2011 First stage of statutory

consultation (complete)2011–2012 Environmental surveys

and reporting (complete)Q2 2013 Second and final stage

of statutory consultationQ3 2013 Submit application for

development consent orderQ4 2014 Application determined 2015–2017 Pre-construction phase2016–2021 Construction2017 onwards Operation

Construction timeframeAs Forewind is a developer, it will not be responsible for the construction and operation of each wind farm. This will be the role of a lead operator, most likely to be one of Forewind’s four parent companies. The lead operator for each wind farm has not yet been finalised, however it will be within their remit to select a landowner liaison officer for all landowner communications during construction.

Before starting any onshore construction activities, the contractor appointed by the lead operator will prepare a detailed construction programme. This programme will then be communicated to all those who will be directly affected by the works.

Dogger Bank Creyke Beck A and Dogger Bank Creyke Beck B may be installed in parallel or one after the other (sequentially). If they are built in parallel, then it is predicted that the entire development, from landfall to the Creyke Beck substation, could take around two and a half years to complete. If built sequentially, it is anticipated that up to 18 months will be required for each stage, with a maximum gap of up to five years between stages.

Whether built in parallel or sequentially, the length of time that individual land holdings would be affected will be shorter than the total time set out above, and will depend on the methodology selected by the appointed contractor.

The decision about whether to build the projects in parallel or sequentially will be taken post-consent by the lead operator(s).

Information for landowners, tenants and occupiers

CREYKE BECK

DOGGER BANK

This factsheet is intended only to highlight key points of the proposals for Dogger Bank Creyke Beck – please review the consultation documents for full details. To provide your feedback, please check the ‘How to respond’ page for details.

Source: Round 3 zone boundary © The Crown Estate, 2010. National Grid Substations © National Grid, 2010. Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right, 2013.

Dogger Bank Creyke Beck

Substation

Onshore export cable route

Offshore export cable route

Dogger Bank Round 3 Zone

Project boundaries

Dogger Bank Creyke Beck A

Dogger Bank Creyke Beck B

Legal issues

Land negotiationsForewind, together with its land agent Dalcour Maclaren, will continue to hold discussions with landowners and their representatives regarding the legal agreements necessary to secure the onshore land rights.

It is Forewind’s strong preference to reach mutual agreement with those affected by the onshore works ahead of the application being submitted. Agreements need to be put in place before any construction work can begin onshore.

Offshore Transmission OwnerRegulatory requirements mean that offshore wind farm operators cannot both own and operate the transmission assets connecting their wind farm to the national grid. These assets, comprising offshore and onshore cables and converter stations, must be transferred to an Offshore Transmission Owner (OFTO). Potential OFTOs will be invited to bid to own and operate the assets after construction via a process governed by the Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem).

For the same reasons that Forewind is seeking two Option Agreements and Deeds of Grant for each land holding, there could be two different OFTOs appointed for Dogger Bank Creyke Beck. Once an OFTO(s) has been appointed for Dogger Bank Creyke Beck, the legal agreements with landowners will be transferred from Forewind to them.

Business as usualWherever possible, between now and construction activities commencing (assuming development consent is granted) landowners and tenants should continue to use their land as normal. As a landowner or occupier you are best placed to determine if there will be difficulties with this approach, in which case your land agent should raise this with Dalcour Maclaren at the earliest opportunity. See contact details below left.

Dogger Bank Creyke BeckForewind

Further survey requirements If the application is approved, there may be a need to carry out further environmental or engineering surveys prior to construction. Rights to access the land for such surveys will be included within the Option Agreement. Where applicable, compensation will be paid for any crop loss or damage caused as a direct result of exercising the rights.Construction activities will not start before the Option to enter into the Deed of Grant is exercised.

The onshore converter stations and other transmission assets, including cables and offshore substations will be transferred to the Offshore Transmission Owner. These pictured are part of the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm in Norfolk.

Forewind land agentIf you have any queries about legal agreements please contact:

Website www.dalcourmaclaren.com

Email [email protected]

Tel 01782 567921

Post Andrew Barker Dalcour Maclaren Hooters Hall Road Newcastle under Lyme Staffordshire ST5 9QF

Onshore infrastructure

In total the onshore infrastructure required for the development will include:– Underground cable transition joint bays

at the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck landfall north of Ulrome on the Holderness coast;

– Underground High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) export cables running approximately 30 kilometres from the landfall joints to the two HVDC converter stations;

– Two converter stations located between Beverley and Cottingham adjacent to the A1079 and with associated roads, fencing, landscaping and drainage;

– Underground High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) export cables running approximately two kilometres from the converter stations to the National Grid substation at Creyke Beck, where connection works will be carried out;

– Ancillary works including: temporary working areas, permanent and temporary access roads, and service corridors.

National Grid may have to carry out some work at the Creyke Beck substation in order to connect Dogger Bank Creyke Beck. This work will be the responsibility of National Grid, and therefore does not form part of Forewind’s application.

Converter stationsThe proposals include two converter stations, one for each of the Creyke Beck projects. Converter stations are required to convert direct current (DC) electricity into alternating current (AC), so that the wind farms can be connected to the national grid electricity transmission network.

Forewind has identified land deemed suitable for the converter stations on farmland to the south of Beverley, on the northern side of the A1079, about 1.5 km to the south-east of the intersection with the A164. The construction methods used will be typical to those used to build a large steel-framed building with cladding.

Each converter station will include: a valve hall, which is a large building that houses electronic devices to convert the power from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC); ancillary buildings; outdoor equipment areas containing rigid aluminium DC and AC current connectors, transformers, cable sealing ends and air-conditioning equipment; permanent lighting to minimise glare, and car parking with internal roads.

The valve halls are expected to be steel-framed buildings with cladding, the colour and external materials to be agreed with the local authority.

May 2013Forewind

Control room

Valve hall

Outdoor AC equipmentand transformers

A typical converter station, similar to those proposed for Dogger Bank Creyke Beck. The roof height is up to 20 m and the total footprint is approximately 5 hectares per converter station.

Map of proposed converter station location

Indicative access point for construction

traffic from A1079

Permanent operational access

Temporary construction access

Creyke Beck A construction compound

Creyke Beck B construction compound

Proposed converter station location

Converter station study area

Data Source: Ordnance Survey data ©Crown copyright and database right, 2013. Licence number 0100031673

Onshore construction

May 2013Forewind

Figure 4.12: Illustrative visualisation of an HDD Installation

4.4.45 When the pilot bore emerges from the ground in the reception pit, the drill head is

removed and a reaming bit will be attached to the drill stringpulled back through the pilot hole, widening the bore. Dependentto be installed, several passes with the reamer may be necessary to gradually widen

Drill string

Swivel

Drill pipe

ReamerUtility pipeline

Undisturbed ground

Pipesideexit

Reamer Utility pipeline

Illustration of horizontal directional drilling under a riverEach cable trench will be 1.5 metres across and the haul roads will be six metres wide.

Cable trenches

Temporary haul roads

Temporary spoil heaps

Topsoil

Drainage

Indicative cable trench layout

Cable installation Along most of the route, the onshore cables will be installed at a minimum depth of 1.2 m using an open trench method. However, where roads or other significant obstacles need to be crossed, cables will be installed via horizontal directional drilling.

In the first stage of open trench installation, topsoil will be stripped and stored within the working-width corridor, separated from the subsoil. Topsoil is normally stacked with a flat top, rather than a peak, to avoid erosion. Weeds will be controlled using a suitable preparation relevant to the circumstances.

The appointed contractor will be responsible for topsoil removal and reinstatement, while any excess material will be removed to a licensed site for disposal.

Where major roads or other significant obstacles need to be crossed, cables will be installed via horizontal directional drilling (HDD). At the landfall, HDD will be used to bring the cables up the beach to the cable transition joint bays, to ensure that there will be no impact on natural coastal erosion process.

Further descriptions of the methods used can be found in the consultation documents, particularly in Chapter 5 of the draft Environmental Statement – Project Description.

Accessibility Temporary haul roads will be required along a significant portion of the cable route during construction. They will be installed within the cable corridor working width and typically comprise imported granular material.

Some areas may be temporarily inaccessible for farming during the construction period. The appointed contractor will be asked to agree crossing points with landowners and tenants to allow continued access wherever possible. Where this is unavoidable, compensation will be considered on a per land holding basis.

Landowners will be able to make disturbance claims for losses, such as crops, caused as a direct result of the construction and it is recommended that they should appoint a land agent to calculate and submit claims on their behalf.

There will be no permanent above-ground structures along the cable route, however health and safety marker posts will be installed in hedgerows and on field boundaries, where feasible.

Forewind has proposed a scheme that aims to minimise the impact of construction activities on landowners, tenants and occupiers, and to ensure the satisfactory reinstatement of land. Before any work is carried out Records of Condition with photographs will be made on each land holding. These will document the condition of the land at the start of the works and will be used to compare the land once the work is complete.

The lead operator and/or the appointed contractor will be responsible for reinstatement once the cables are installed. A full and final claim covering all direct and reasonable losses will be considered on the satisfactory completion of the reinstatement activities.

Landowners, tenants and occupiers have already had the opportunity to comment on the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck proposals via Forewind’s land agent, Dalcour Maclaren, and at the first stage of statutory consultation in December 2011. Comments received to date have been considered by Forewind and incorporated where feasible.

The final statutory consultation period for Dogger Bank Creyke Beck will run from Friday, 19 April to Tuesday, 11 June.

Forewind has produced a suite of consultation documents for the proposed development comprising: plans and maps detailing its nature and location, and the preliminary environmental information (PEI), which includes drafts of both the Environmental Statement and its Non-Technical Summary.

The consultation documents will be available at each of the six public exhibitions, which all landowners, tenants and occupiers are encouraged to attend. The events are as follows:

Date & Time VenueTuesday Ulrome Rickaby HallMay 7 Main Street, Ulrome2pm to 7.30pm YO25 8TP Wednesday Beeford Community Centre May 8 Main Street, Beeford 2pm to 7.30pm YO25 8AYThursday Bridlington Spa May 9 South Marine Drive 11am to 6pm Bridlington, YO15 3JHFriday Beverley Arms HotelMay 10 25 North Bar Within 2pm to 7.30pm Beverley, HU17 8DDSaturday May 11 Cottingham Civic Hall 10.30am to Market Green 4.30pm Cottingham, HU16 5QGSunday May 12 St Stephen’s Shopping 10.30am to Centre, 110 Ferensway 4.30pm Kingston upon Hull, HU2 8LN

The consultation documents will be available to download from www.forewind.co.uk and at the following libraries during the consultation period: Hornsea, Leven, Driffield, Beverley, North Bridlington, Cottingham, Bridlington and Hull as well as the East Riding of Yorkshire Council Mobile Libraries.

They can also be requested from Forewind directly. DVDs and printed copies of the Non-Technical Summary of the Environmental Statement will be available free of charge and printed copies of the Environmental Statement will be available at cost price (£600).

Responses to the consultation can be submitted;– in person at the public exhibitions– by email to [email protected] – by calling us on the Freephone number

0800 975 5636– by the electronic questionnaire available at

www.forewind.co.uk – to our Freepost address: Freepost RSLY-

HKGK-HEBR, Forewind, Davidson House, Forbury Square, Reading, RG1 3EU.

Please note that Forewind must receive your response to the proposals by Tuesday, 11 June to ensure its consideration. Responses are likely to be made public as part of the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck application.

Following the consultation, Forewind will consider feedback and responses from stakeholders and make any necessary changes prior to submission of the application for a development consent order to the Planning Inspectorate. The process to receive consent Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, such as Dogger Bank Creyke Beck is determined by the Planning Act 2008.

Once the application is submitted, the Planning Inspectorate will have 28 days to confirm that it will be accepted. If accepted, stakeholders including landowners, tenants and occupiers may register a representation about the project. At that stage, the proposals will be finalised and difficult to change therefore Forewind urges all stakeholders to take part in the consultation process in May/June 2013.

May 2013Forewind

How to respond

Flamborough Head

Rapeseed field, East Yorkshire

May 2013Forewind

Other key issues

This section summarises issues understood to be key to landowners, tenants and occupiers. To find out more detail please refer to the draft Environmental Statement.

DrainageForewind will continue to review approaches to drainage and will explore any commitments that can be made at this stage, for example, pre-contractor appointments. There is a wide recognition and acknowledgement that drainage is an issue for all landowners likely to be affected by the proposed onshore works and it will be addressed.

DecommissioningWhen the wind farm is due to be decommissioned it will be determined whether the buried cable systems could be used for another purpose. If this were not feasible, the cables would be isolated and left in place unless the local planning authority or other governing body specifies otherwise.

Health and safetyThe construction and operation of the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck projects will be subject to full health, safety and environment controls and risk assessments, and will follow the corporate policies of the lead operator(s). Appropriate best practice guidelines and the relevant regulatory legislation will be followed.

Warning tape will be installed above the cables to warn future excavators of buried services so they will avoid coming into contact with them. Cable marker posts will also be used to serve as reminders of the presence of electrical equipment.

Electric and magnetic fields Forewind’s proposals all comply with the established industry guidelines (1998 International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)).

The underground cables will produce magnetic fields, however these will be below the limits set in the guidelines. Cable screening will eliminate any electric fields. The converter stations will generate electric fields from the above-ground conductors, however these fields will either be completely contained within the site, or at most will fall to zero within the first few metres of the perimeter fence.

Further information about electric and magnetic fields (EMF) can be found on the Department for Energy and Climate Change website.1

Top soil

Backfill/subsoil

Warning tape

Cable protection slab

Cement bound sandCement bound sand

1.2 m

0.5 m

HVDCcable

HVDCcableFibre optic

cable

Indicative cross section of ducted trench installation of onshore HVDC cables

Drainage, East Riding of Yorkshire

1. www.gov.uk/consents-and-planning-applications-for-national-energy-infrastructure-projects