Fylde Council has submitted further representations to the Secretary of State regarding the Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms Transmission Assets Development Consent Order (DCO), having reviewed all documents submitted since the examination closed on Friday 19 June.
The Council’s representations maintain that the applicants have “failed to meaningfully engage with the Council” throughout the process, and that the withdrawal of Morgan Offshore Wind Limited from the project creates significant delivery and enforcement risks. Whilst some progress has been made on certain matters, the Council remains concerned that the applicants are unable to fully explain how the development would come forward or justify its impacts – an uncertainty which it considers may underline many of the deficiencies identified to date.
The submission also formally presents the joint economic review undertaken by Fylde, Wyre and Lancashire Councils, which concludes that the proposed onshore transmission route could be up to £520 million more expensive than an alternative northern route via Rossall and Hillhouse. The review identifies significant national benefits associated with the alternative route, including 1,100 additional jobs and between £990 million and £1.7 billion in Gross Value Added, and finds there are “no insurmountable environmental or ecological challenges” to its delivery.
The Secretary of State has now published all representations received from interested parties ahead of an anticipated decision on Monday 14 September.
Councillor Karen Buckley, Leader of Fylde Council, said: “With a decision now anticipated in September, it is vital that the Secretary of State has the full picture before reaching any conclusions. The economic evidence is compelling, the concerns around delivery and enforcement remain unresolved, and the communities most affected by this development deserve to know that every option has been properly considered. We will continue to make the case as strongly as we can in the time that remains.”
For more information relating to the Irish Sea Windfarms, visit our dedicated webpage.
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