RWE, one of the UK’s leading renewable energy developers, has today announced details of the upcoming statutory consultation relating to its Dogger Bank South (DBS) offshore wind farm developments.
The consultation will run from 6th June to the 17th July 2023 and the project team are looking to gain feedback from relevant stakeholders, including local communities and the wider public, on the latest project proposals, and specifically on the Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR) for the projects which RWE will publish shortly.
RWE held an introductory (non-statutory) consultation last Autumn and later announced that the team had removed one substation zone and two potential cable route options from further consideration. The updates were made as a result of the feedback received during the consultation, along with the data collected from surveys, engineering studies and discussions with statutory bodies. The zones and routes which remain under consideration have been further assessed within the PEIR. The PEIR identifies potentially significant adverse impacts resulting from the projects, allowing them to be avoided or minimised where possible, as well as identifying any potential beneficial environmental impacts. The report will assist local people in responding and giving their views to the proposals.
RWE recently published a Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC) which sets out how it plans to consult with members of the local community. The SoCC was agreed with East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Hull City Council and is available to view on the project website, www.doggerbanksouth.co.uk. Along with the PEIR, a number of consultation documents have been developed to help people take part in the consultation including a Non-Technical Summary (NTS) of the PEIR and a Consultation Brochure which aims to guide people around the consultation and assist them in giving their views.
All consultation documentation is available to view on a dedicated consultation website which has been developed to enable residents to respond to the consultation electronically in their own time. The consultation website will be available to access from the main project website (www.doggerbanksouth.co.uk) from 6th June. Hard copies of the NTS and Consultation Brochure are also available to view at a number of local access points which are listed on the website and can also be posted to residents on request.
Five in-person consultation events will be held as part of the consultation to give local residents the chance to meet members of the project team. In addition to the live public events, two webinar sessions have been organised to allow those unable to attend an in-person event the opportunity to view the proposals and ask questions direct to the project team.
Trevor Baker, RWE Projects Lead for Dogger Bank South said: “We recognise consultation to be a vital stage in the development of our projects and which will provide the opportunity for us to engage with communities and for them to comment on the projects as our plans evolve. Feedback from members of the public will be considered in our continued development of the projects, and will also be reported to the Secretary of State when our application for development consent is submitted.”
“Our in-person consultation events are open to everyone and we hope to meet as many local residents as possible to discuss our proposals.”
| Consultation Events | ||
| Date | Location | Times |
| Friday 9 June 2023 | Beverley Memorial Hall, 73-75 Lairgate, Beverley HU17 8HN | 3pm – 7pm |
| Saturday 10 June 2023 | Skipsea Village Hall, Bridlington Rd, Skipsea, Driffield YO25 8TJ | 3pm – 7pm |
| Thursday 22 June 2023 | Leven Sports Hall & Playing Field, North St, Leven, Beverley HU17 5NF | 3pm – 7pm |
| Friday 23 June 2023 | Skipsea Village Hall, Bridlington Rd, Skipsea, Driffield YO25 8TJ | 3pm – 7pm |
| Saturday 24 June 2023 | Beverley Memorial Hall, 73-75 Lairgate, Beverley HU17 8HN | 11am – 4pm |
| Tuesday 27 June 2023 | Webinar Session (register at www.doggerbanksouth.co.uk) | 6pm – 7pm |
| Thursday 6 July 2023 | Webinar Session (register at www.doggerbanksouth.co.uk) | 6pm – 7pm |
Local residents will be able to respond to the consultation by completing questionnaires which will be available at the consultation events and can be downloaded from the website or requested directly. It is also possible to respond to the consultation online via the dedicated consultation website.
Letters inviting residents to take part in the consultation have been sent directly to over 40,000 households located in the vicinity of the proposed DBS electrical system.
Consultation responses must be received by 23:59 on 17th July 2023 to guarantee inclusion in the Consultation Report.