The Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth (): This statement concerns applications made by
Orsted Hornsea Project Three (UK) Limited, Norfolk Vanguard
Limited and Vattenfall Wind Power Limited for development consent
for the installation, operation and maintenance of the proposed
Hornsea project three, Norfolk vanguard and Thanet extension
offshore wind farms respectively, their related offshore
infrastructure off the coast of Norfolk and Kent and their
related onshore electrical connections within those counties.
Under section 107(1) of the Planning Act 2008, the Secretary of
State must make a decision on an application within three months
of the receipt of the examining authority’s report unless
exercising the power under section 107(3) of the Planning Act
2008 to set a new deadline.
Where a new deadline is set, the Secretary of State must make a
statement to Parliament to announce it.
The statutory decision deadline for the Hornsea project three
offshore wind farm application was re-set by written ministerial
statement on 8 October 2019. However, following a request by
Orsted Hornsea Project Three (UK) Limited on 12 December 2019 for
an extension of the period of six weeks by which to provide
additional information to the Secretary of State, to 14 February
2020, the Secretary of State has decided to re-set the decision
deadline to 1 June 2020 to allow that information to be received
and assessed including any further consultation required.
The deadline for the decision on the Norfolk vanguard offshore
wind farm was 10 December 2019 and the deadline for the Thanet
extension offshore wind farm was 11 December 2019. The Secretary
of State has decided to set a new deadline of 1 June 2020 for
deciding these two applications to allow further information to
be provided and assessed including any further consultation
required.
The decision to set the new deadlines for these three
applications is without prejudice to the decisions on whether to
grant or refuse development consents for them.
