Current status

Current status:

The Planning Inspectorate published a letter on 24 September 2024 confirming the date of the Preliminary Meeting as 22 October 2024. This letter included a draft timetable for the examination based on it commencing after the close of the Preliminary Meeting.

On 30 September 2024, we published our Notice of Hearings relating to the DBS offshore wind farms containing information about the Preliminary Meeting, Compulsory Acquisition, and Issue Specific Hearings.

The Preliminary Meeting began on 22 October 2024 but was adjourned in response to a request from the Examining Authority for additional information. Scheduled hearings have been temporarily postponed and will be rescheduled once the Preliminary Meeting formally concludes.

During the examination phase, Interested Parties are invited to provide more details about their views at hearings, the dates of which are set at the end of the pre-examination period.

The Examining Authority considers all important and relevant matters including the Representations of all Interested Parties, any supporting evidence submitted, and answers provided to the Examining Authority’s questions set out in writing or posed at hearings.

Proposed design changes

We have considered stakeholder feedback received immediately prior to submission of the Development Consent Order and since submission through the Relevant Representation process.

Ongoing design work, combined with the feedback received and a firm grid connection offer, has enabled the team to reduce the footprint of the two proposed onshore converter stations and to reduce and even remove aspects of the proposed offshore infrastructure that are no longer required.

Although the changes are broadly beneficial, they are not significant enough to alter the outcomes of all but one of the offshore environmental assessments, where the impact has been reduced. The effects detailed in the Environmental Statement submitted with the original application, therefore, remain largely unchanged.

Non-statutory consultation relating to these changes is taking place between 15 November 00:00 and 16 December 23:59.

Detailed information about the changes can be found using the following links:

• Project Change Request 1: Offshore Intertidal Works

  • Project Change Request 1 - Environmental Assessment Update
  • Appendix A – Fish and Shellfish Ecology Environmental Statement Update
  • Appendix B – Marine Mammal Environmental Statement Update
  • Appendix C – Marine Mammal Report to Inform Appropriate Assessment Update
  • Appendix 8-3 – Marine Physical Process Modelling Technical Report (Revision 2) (Tracked)
  • Appendix 11-3 – Underwater Noise Modelling Report (Revision 2) (Tracked)
  • Appendix 11-4 – iPCoD Modelling (Revision 2) (Tracked)

• Project Change Request 2: Onshore Substation Zone

If you have any comments about the proposed changes, please share them with us by 16 December 2024 at 23:59 either by email to dbs@rwe.com or by post to FREEPOST DBSOWF.

We will evaluate all the feedback we receive before submitting formal Requests for Change to the Examining Authority in early January 2025.

The interactive map and ‘Story so far’ web pages will be updated with changes that are accepted into the examination process in early 2025.