Click here to access details of all the arrangements that the Planning Inspectorate has put in place for the examination of the application
Onshore Windfarm Ground Investigation Works
Notice of Permitted Development Works
The applicants for the onshore windfarm application have notified Fylde Council that they intend to carry out ground investigation works along the proposed transmission route. These works are being undertaken under permitted development rights and represent standard practice for projects of this nature.
Purpose of the Investigation
The ground investigation will assess onshore subsurface conditions to inform the design and construction of the onshore transmission assets for the project. This is exploratory work that will help determine the most appropriate approach for the transmission infrastructure.
Timeline and Working Hours
Start Date: 4 August 2025
Completion Date: 31 October 2025
Working Hours: Monday – Saturday, 8am – 6pm
Please note: timings are subject to weather conditions and site access requirements.
What the Works Will Involve
The investigation programme includes several key activities:
Site Preparation
- Setting up temporary site compounds and welfare units
- Initial site visits to assess access points and site conditions
Ground Investigation Activities
- Drilling 71 boreholes across the route (48 within Fylde Council boundary, with 2 alternate locations available)
- Excavating 69 trial pits (48 within Fylde Council boundary, with 2 alternate locations available)
- Conducting 12 plate load tests within Fylde Council boundary
- Collection of soil samples for laboratory testing
Monitoring Equipment
- Installation of groundwater monitoring equipment (up to 600mm above ground level)
- Equipment will feature locked covers surrounded by three-post fencing
- Monitoring period of up to six months
Location
The proposed works cover the majority of the proposed transmission route. Please refer to the accompanying map (PDF download) for specific locations of the planned investigation sites.
Further Information
This is an information notice only. The works are permitted development and do not require planning permission. For any queries regarding this notice, please contact the Planning Department.
Residents may be aware of this proposal which relates to an Offshore Windfarm which is proposed for a location around 30km off the Fylde coast in the Irish Sea. It is proposed that power generated is to be connected to the National Grid via a cable which would land at a site near Blackpool Airport before traveling underground across the borough towards Newton before crossing the river Ribble to a sub-station at Penwortham. There would be two sub-stations between Freckleton/Kirkham/Newton as part of this project.
Due to the scale of the project the decision on this is not a matter for Fylde Council but will instead be decided by the Secretary of State as it is a Nationally Significant Infrastructre Project. The Secretary of State’s decision will follow an examination of the project led by the Planning Inspectorate. With the project being of such a potential importance to the borough this page is designed to give residents access to information about the project.
The scheme is split into three separate elements, with the developer’s webpages available below.
In addition the applicants have published a joint ‘information hub’ to provide details about the project – click here to learn more.
Information about the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project process is available here.
The Planning Inspectorate have established a webpage for each project which will be updated with their progress on the assessment of the applications. Residents are able to register for updates on these projects via the links below.
- The Morgan Offshore Generation Assets Project
- The Morecambe Offshore Generation Assets Project
- The Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Transmission Assets Project
Fylde Council is a consultee on this matter and has set up a file on its planning register to host the documents that it formally submits as part of the process, with the links to those below.
On 08 May 2025 the Planning Inspectorate published their ‘Rule 8 letter’ which sets out the timetable for the hearings into this application. These began on Tuesday 29 April 2025 and are to continue over the following 6 months with a series of topic-based hearings which will conclude in October 2025. The hearing dates are to be held at the Grand Hotel in Blackpool and will also be available via Teams to those who have pre-registered.
In response to the Examining Authority’s Rule 8 Letter on Deadline 1 – 20th May 2025, the following documents have been submitted.
Fylde Borough Council Notes covering authority to submit and represent and nominations for the Examining Authority site visit on the 25th July and Open Heading Sessions on the evening of the 24th July.
Following on from the submission of the Council’s Local Impact Report on the Morgan and Morecambe DCO and Environmental Statement at Deadline 2, the Examining Authority has asked a specific number of questions of the Council which we have responded to as part of the Deadline 3 submissions from all Interested Parties.
