Click here to access details of all the arrangements that the Planning Inspectorate has put in place for the examination of the application
Expected work on the Transmission Asset Corridor
In mid-2025 the prospective developers of the windfarm installed some monitoring equipment along the development corridor between St Annes and Clifton. This equipment was associated with investigating ground conditions along the route to assist with the detailed design of the cable laying arrangements in the event that Consent was granted for the scheme. This investigation equipment was installed using permitted development rights which allow for such works to be undertaken without the need for planning permission from Fylde Council or elsewhere.
The monitoring data has now all been collected and so the developers are to return to the area to remove that equipment. This is likely to commence on Monday 16 March 2026 and take 2 weeks to complete along the proposed cable route. Residents may see some activity associated with this work as there will be teams of engineers visiting the area in 4×4 vehicles using some handheld drill equipment to extract the monitoring equipment in this time.
If there are any queries with this work please contact the planning team at Fylde on planning@fylde.gov.uk or 01253 658435.
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.
Deadline 6 submissions
Fylde Borough Council had submitted its final summary statement into the “Morgan and Morecambe on Shore Cables Transmission” Examination and an agreed Statement of Common Ground with the Applicants. The Examination has now closed, and no more representations will be accepted by the Examining Authority.
