What happens next
A decision on the application for a Development Consent Order for Hornsea Project Three Offshore Wind Farm was taken on 31 December 2020 and has now been issued.
The period for legal challenge is defined in s118 of the Planning Act 2008. Further information about legal challenge can be found in the letter sent to all Interested Parties accompanying the Secretary of State’s decision and statement of reasons.
If you have any queries about the process please email the Planning Inspectorate at [email protected] or telephone the helpline on 0303 444 5000.
Timeline (76 items)
A Decision Letter (PDF, 175KB) and Amendment Order (PDF, 121KB) have been issued by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero to make a change that is not material to the Hornsea Three Offshore Wind Farm Development Consent Order 2020 (PDF, 3 MB).
Responses to the Applicant’s Kittiwake Implementation and Monitoring Plan (PDF, 1 MB) have been published.
The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero has today issued a letter (PDF, 145 KB ) correcting a typographical error contained within the Regulation 7(3) letter (PDF, 159 KB) issued by the Secretary of State on 21 December 2022.
The Consultation and Publicity Statement (PDF, 58 MB) for the non-material change application has been published.
Representations received in response to the application for a non-material change to the Hornsea Project Three Offshore Wind Farm Development Consent Order have been published.
Orsted Hornsea Project Three (UK) Limited (Orsted) has submitted a kittiwake implementation plan (KIMP) to the Secretary of State.
In accordance with Schedule 14 Part 1 of the Hornsea Three Offshore Wind Farm Order 2020 the Secretary of State has invited the Marine Management Organisation, Natural England, Hartlepool Borough Council, Durham County Council, and East Suffolk Council, to comment on the KIMP.
The deadline for responses is 23.59 on 3 March 2023.
An application for a non-material change to the Hornsea Project Three Offshore Wind Farm Development Consent Order has been made by Orsted Hornsea Project Three (UK) Ltd.
If you wish to make a representation, this should be emailed to [email protected] or posted to:
National Infrastructure
The Planning Inspectorate
Temple Quay House
2 The Square
Bristol BS1 6PN
The deadline for receipt of representations is 11:59pm on Thursday 16 February 2023
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has issued a letter on 21 December 2022 confirming those parties that the Applicant should consult regarding a proposed non-material change application relating to the Hornsea Project Three Offshore Wind Farm Order 2020.
The Secretary of State has today issued approval for the Sandbank Implementation Plans in accordance with paragraph 14 of Part 2 of Schedule 14 to the Hornsea Three Offshore Wind Farm Order 2020 (as amended) (PDF, 214KB).
The Applicant has today submitted updated Sandbank Implementation Plans to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for his consideration.
The Secretary of State has received comments on the Sandbank Implementation Plans from the The Marine Management Organisation (MMO), Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and Natural England.
Following a request from the JNCC and Natural England (PDF, 108KB), the Secretary of State has extended the deadline for response to his invitation for comments on the Sandbank Implementation Plans to 23.59 on Friday 21 January 2022.
The Applicant has submitted Sandbank Implementation Plans to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for his consideration. The Secretary of State has invited the MMO, the JNCC and Natural England to comment on the Plans (PDF, 142KB), in accordance with Schedule 14 of the Hornsea Three Offshore Windfarm Order. The deadline for response is 23.59 on Friday 7 January 2022.
The Secretary of State issued Approval Letters on 7 September 2021 for the Plans of Work for the Offshore Ornithology Engagement Group and the Benthic Compensation Steering Group, pursuant to Part 1 and Part 2 of Schedule 14 to the Hornsea Three Offshore Wind Farm Order 2020 (as amended).
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has issued a Correction Order. For further information please refer to the following decision documentation:
- Correction Notice (PDF, 145KB)
- Correction Order (PDF, 102KB)
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has today granted development consent for the project. For further information please refer to the following documents:
- Secretary of State’s Decision Letter (PDF, 541 KB);
- Planning Inspectorate Decision Cover Letter (PDF, 125 KB);
- Development Consent Order as Made (PDF, 3MB);
- Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report (PDF, 6MB);
- Habitats Regulations Assessment (PDF, 2MB);
- Regulation 23 Notice (PDF, 65KB);
- Post Examination correspondence bundle (PDF, 7MB).
The Secretary of State has received comments on responses from the Applicant and other Interested Parties to his minded-to approve letter 1 July 2020 (PDF, 434 KB).
The Secretary of State has received responses from the Applicant and other Interested Parties to his minded-to approve letter (PDF, 434kb) on 1 July 2020 and is reviewing these responses. The Secretary of State invites comments from Interested Parties on the responses to his consultation by 2 November 2020.
Letter submitted by Leigh Day on behalf of The Wildlife Trusts (PDF 340KB) in relation to the Hornsea Project THREE draft HRA.
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is minded to approve this application subject to further information from the applicant and Interested Parties on a number of specific issues.
- Draft Development Consent Order
- Draft Habitats Regulation Assessment
- Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report
To allow time for the Applicant to submit further information by 30 September 2020 and to allow for consultation on the further information with Interested Parties, the Secretary of State has set a new deadline of 31 December 2020 for his decision on this application. The Secretary of State has asked the Planning Inspectorate to facilitate the consultation process via the project page of the National Infrastructure Planning website.
The Secretary of State has decided to re-set the statutory deadline for this application to 1 July 2020. A statement confirming the new deadline for a decision will be made to the House of Commons and House of Lords in accordance with section 107(7) of the Planning Act 2008 as soon as possible.
The Secretary of State has received responses to his request for comments from interested parties on the representations received to the consultation letters dated 27 September 2019 and 31 October 2019.
In response to a request from an interested party, the Secretary of State has agreed to extend the date for comments from interested parties on the representations to Wednesday 22 April 2020.
IMPORTANT: As a result of ongoing Government guidance relating to COVID-19 the Planning Inspectorate is seeking to ensure that all Parties are notified of key developments on projects, in a timely manner. In order to help achieve this, and to minimise any delays which could arise if the postal service is affected, it would be extremely helpful if registered Parties that have not already done so could supply us with a contact e-mail address as soon as possible (details in the contact information heading of the project page).
Please be assured that this information will be managed in line with our Privacy Notice.
The Secretary of State has received responses from the Applicant and other interested parties to his consultation letters dated 27 September 2019 and 31 October 2019 by the 14 February 2020 deadline. The Secretary of State considers the information provided by the Applicant in response to those letters to contain new environmental information and invites comments from interested parties on the representations received by 16 April 2020.
A Written Ministerial Statement has been made announcing that the decision by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has been delayed until 1 June 2020.
The Secretary of State has granted an extension of six weeks to Friday 14 February 2020 to all Interested Parties to respond the consultation letters dated 27 September 2019 and 31 October 2019.
The Secretary of State’s response to Applicant’s letter dated 8 October 2019 has been published.
The Applicant has sought clarification from the Secretary of State on certain matters set out in her letter of 27 September 2019 before they can provide further submissions to fulfil the requirements of the consultation. The Secretary of State has confirmed she will be responding to the Applicant in due course on these matters.
The Secretary of state has invited Interested Parties to comment on the North Norfolk Sandbanks and Saturn Reef Special Area of Conservation, The Wash and North Norfolk Coast Special Area of Conservation, Ornithology, Marine Conservation Zones and Southern North Sea Site of Community Importance Site Integrity Plan. The deadline for responses is 31 December 2019. In view of this please note that the decision deadline for Hornsea Project Three Offshore Wind Farm has been postponed until 31 March 2020.
The Ministry of Defence has responded to The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s request for further comments.
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has requested further comments from the Ministry of Defence.
Notification of completion of the Examining Authority’s Examination (Section 99) letter has been published.
The Examining Authority has requested further information from Orsted Hornsea Project Three (UK) Ltd.
The Audio recordings for the Hearings taking place between 25 and 26 March 2019 have been published:
Recording of Open Floor Hearing 3 – 25 March 2019
Recording of Further Issue Specific Hearing – 26 March 2019
Recording of Further Compulsory Acquisition Hearing – 26 March 2019
Deadline 9 Submissions have also been published.
The Examining Authority has requested further information from:
Ørsted Hornsea Project Three (UK) Ltd
Norfolk County Council
Natural England
Agendas for the hearings taking place between 25 and 26 March 2019 have been published:
Agenda for Open Floor Hearing 3
Agenda for Further Issue Specific Hearing
Agenda for Further Compulsory Acquisition Hearing
Deadline 7 Submissions have also been published.
The notification letter for the hearings taking place between 25 and 26 March and the procedural decisions relating to the additional land and to amend the time table has been published.
Please note that the Issue Specific Hearing on Friday 8th March 2019 will commence at 9am (doors open at 8:30am) and not at 9.30.
Agendas for the hearings taking place between 5 and 8 March 2019 have been published:
Agenda for Issue Specific Hearing 7: Offshore ecology
Agenda for Issue Specific Hearing 8: Aviation, shipping and effects on oil and gas operations
The Examining Authority’s schedule of changes to the draft Development Consent Order and request for further information from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has been published.
The Itinerary for the Accompanied Site Inspection 5 March 2019 has now been published.
Deadline 6 Submissions have now been published and added to the Examination Library.
Issue Specific Hearing 5 and 6 and Compulsory Acquisition Hearing 1 audio recordings have now been published.
The notification letter for the hearings and accompanied site inspection taking place between 5 and 8 March has now been published.
Following the Examining Authority’s decision to accept the Additional Land Application for examination, comments are now invited on the Applicant’s proposed provision before Thursday 28 February 2019. Any comments must be made on the Registration and Relevant Representation Form and must relate to the Applicant’s application for Additional Land only.
The Examination Authority has issued a procedural decision regarding the Applicant’s proposed design changes to the original application.
The Examination Authority has issued a procedural decision to accept the proposed provision for the compulsory acquisition of additional land as part of the application.
Deadline 4 Submissions have now been published and the Exam Library has been updated.
The following agendas have been published:
Open Floor Hearing – Monday 28 January 2019
Issue Specific Hearing 5: Offshore ecology – Tuesday 29 January 2019
Issue Specific Hearing 6: The draft Development Consent Order – Wednesday 30 January
Compulsory Acquisition Hearing – Thursday 31 January 2019
The Itinerary for the Accompanied Site Inspection on 28 January 2019 has also been published.
Please note that the meeting point for the Accompanied Site Inspection on the 28 January 2019 is the car park at Lakenham Hewett RFC, Main Rd, Swardeston, Norwich NR14 8DU and not the Norwich Rugby Club car park as originally advised.
Please note a number of documents were omitted from the Examination Library following publication of the Deadline 1 documents, these have now been published and are available. In relation to Deadline 2, please note documents REP2–014 and REP2–015 have today been republished to include annexes that were omitted from the original publication.
Hearing agendas have now been published.
The Examination Timetable (Rule 8 letter) has been sent to Interested Parties
Procedural decision following Preliminary Meeting
The notification of Preliminary Meeting (Rule 6 letter) has been sent Read the letter
The letter also includes the draft Examination Timetable and Initial Assessment of Principal Issues.
The Relevant Representations submitted by the parties listed in the Applicant’s letter dated 25 July 2018, have been published.
The applicant has sent us a letter, explaining that some of the notifications that they sent about the opportunity to make relevant representations were returned undelivered. The applicant has sent further notifications to those parties only, and has allowed more time for them to make their representations by 23 August 2018. If you have received a further notification and wish to make a representation, please contact us at [email protected].
The relevant representations received up until 22 July 2018 have been published and any relevant representations received from those parties set out in the letter above, will be published when the further deadline has passed.
