Awel y Môr Offshore Wind Farm

What happens next

A decision on the application for a Development Consent Order for Awel y Môr Offshore Wind Farm was taken on 20 September 2023 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 (62 items)

The Secretary of State has granted development consent for this application.

For further information please refer to the following decision documentation:

20 September 2023
Decision made by the Secretary of State
20 September 2023

The Secretary of State has received responses to the request of 14 August 2023. The Secretary of State is currently reviewing these responses.

30 August 2023

An updated review of cumulative and in-combination effects  (PDF, 12 MB) submitted by the Applicant on 11 July 2023, referred to in paragraph 8 of the Secretary of State’s request for further information on 14 August 2023, has now been published.

The deadline for comments by all Parties on the Secretary of State’s consultation letter of 14 August 2023 has now been extended to 29 August 2023.

15 August 2023

The Secretary of State has issued a consultation letter (PDF, 143KB) requesting comments from all Parties by 28 August 2023.

14 August 2023
Recommendations given by the Planning Inspectorate
20 June 2023

The Examining Authority (ExA) has exercised its discretion to accept the following Additional Submissions that supersede previous versions:

The ExA has also exercised its discretion to accept the following late Deadline 8 submissions:

We have recently been informed that a Deadline 8 submission from Network Rail – Letter of Withdrawal (PDF, 540KB) was inadvertently omitted from publishing on 16 March 2023. This has now been published.

20 March 2023

For a short period this morning, the webpage incorrectly reported that the Examination had closed. This was incorrect and the Examination closes at 11:59 tonight (20 March 2023).

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

20 March 2023

The Deadline 8 submissions have been published.

The Examination Library (PDF, 818KB) will be updated shortly.

17 March 2023

The Deadline 7 submissions have been published.

The Examining Authority has today issued a request for further information:

The Examination Library  (PDF, 818KB) will be updated shortly.

09 March 2023

The Examining Authority has exercised its discretion to accept an Additional Submission from Charlotte Bowers (PDF, 102 KB).

The Examination Library (PDF, 817 KB) has been updated.

07 March 2023

The Examining Authority carried out Unaccompanied Site Inspections on Monday 27 February 2023 and Thursday 2 March 2023 (PDF, 111 KB).

The Examination Library (PDF, 791 KB) has been updated.

07 March 2023

Recordings, transcripts and action points of the Hearings held during the week commencing 27 February 2023 have now been published.

The Examination Library  (PDF, 775 KB) will be updated shortly.

The Examining Authority’s Further Written Questions (ExQ3) (PDF, 338 KB) have been published and added to the Examination Library (PDF, 775 KB). Responses are due by Deadline 7 (Wednesday 8 March 2023).

03 March 2023

The Examining Authority’s Further Written Questions (ExQ3) (PDF, 338 KB) have been published and added to the Examination Library (PDF, 775 KB). Responses are due by Deadline 7 (Wednesday 8 March 2023).

01 March 2023

The Examining Authority has exercised its discretion to accept an Additional Submission from National Grid Electricity Transmission Plc (PDF, 61KB).

The Examination Library (PDF, 773KB) has been updated.

For those wishing to observe the Hearings that will be held during the week commencing 27 February 2023, here is the link to the livestream (which remains the same for all Hearings relating to this project).

28 February 2023

For those wishing to observe the Hearings that will be held during the week commencing 27 February 2023, here is the link to the livestream (which remains the same for all Hearings relating to this project).

 

Joining instructions for the hearings will be issued on Monday 27 February 2023

24 February 2023

The Examining Authority (ExA) has published the following document:

The Examination Timetable stated that, if required, the ExA would also publish their Schedule of Changes to the draft Development Consent Order (dDCO) today. This has not been considered to be required and outstanding matters relating to the dDCO will be covered in Issue Specific Hearing 4 and ExQ3.

The Deadline 6 submissions have been published.

The Examination Library  (PDF, 737 KB) will be updated shortly.

22 February 2023

The Examining Authority has published the following documents:

The Examination Library (PDF, 738KB) has been updated.

21 February 2023

The Examining Authority has exercised its discretion to accept the following late Deadline 5 submission:

The Examination Library (PDF, 735KB) has been updated.

 

16 February 2023

The Examining Authority has exercised its discretion to accept the following late Deadline 5 submission:

The Examination Library (PDF, 734KB) has been updated.

15 February 2023

We have recently been informed that a Deadline 5 (D5) submission from Conwy County Borough Council (Response to ExQ2) (PDF, 4 MB) was inadvertently omitted from publishing on 8 February 2023. This has now been published.

Appendix A from Rhyl Flats Wind Farm Ltd response to ExQ1 (PDF, 269 KB) at Deadline 1 was also identified as not being published as part of the main document. This has now been rectified.

The Examination Library (PDF, 733 KB) has been updated.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

14 February 2023

The Deadline 5 submissions have been published.

The Examination Library will be updated shortly.

 

08 February 2023

Deadline 4 submissions have been published.

The Examination Library will be updated shortly.

31 January 2023

The Examining Authority’s Further Written Questions (ExQ2) (PDF, 1 MB) have been published and added to the Examination Library (PDF, 689 KB). Responses are due by Deadline 5 (6 February 2023).

The Examining Authority has exercised its discretion to accept the following Additional Submission:

23 January 2023

The Examining Authority has today issued a request for further information:

Deadline 3a submissions have been published.

The Examination Library (PDF 630KB)  will be updated shortly.

19 December 2022

The Examining Authority carried out Unaccompanied Site Inspections on Monday 5 December 2022 and Friday 9 December 2022 (PDF, 110KB).

The Examination Library (PDF, 630KB) has been updated.

16 December 2022

Recordings and transcripts of the Hearings held during the week commencing 5 December have now been published.

 These have been added to the Examination Library (PDF, 628KB).

13 December 2022

The Examining Authority has exercised its discretion to accept the following Additional Submissions:

The agendas have been also been published.

These have been added to the Examination Library (PDF 595KB).

For those wishing to observe the Hearings that will be held during the week commencing 5 December 2022, here is the link to the livestream (which remains the same for all Hearings relating to this project).

Joining instructions for the hearings will be issued on Monday 5 December 2022.

28 November 2022

The Examining Authority has published the following documents:

For those wishing to observe the Hearings that will be held during the week commencing 5 December 2022, here is the link to the livestream (which remains the same for all Hearings relating to this project).

Joining instructions for the hearings will be issued on Monday 5 December 2022.

These have been added to the Examination Library (PDF 594KB).

25 November 2022

Deadline 3 submissions have been published.

These have been added to the Examination Library (PDF 590KB).

24 November 2022

The Examining Authority has exercised its discretion to accept the following Additional Submissions:

These have been added to the Examination Library (PDF 566KB).

23 November 2022

The Examining Authority has today issued a request for further information:

The Examining Authority has also exercised its discretion to accept the following Additional Submissions:

These have been added to the Examination Library (PDF 566KB).

17 November 2022

The Examining Authority’s Notification of Hearings and Accompanied Site Inspection (PDF, 19MB) to be held during week commencing 5 December 2022 (Rule 13 and Rule 16 Letter) has been published.

The Examination Library (PDF, 557KB) has been updated

11 November 2022

Deadline 2 submissions have been published.

The Examining Authority has exercised its discretion to accept the following Additional Submissions:

The Examination Library will be updated shortly.

11 November 2022

Deadline 1 submissions have been published and will be added to the Examination Library shortly.

26 October 2022

A note of the Preliminary Meeting (PDF,156KB) has been published.

05 October 2022

Read the letter

The following documents have been published:

 The Examination Library (PDF, 437KB) has been updated.

27 September 2022

Read the letter

The Examination Timetable (Rule 8 letter) has been sent to Interested Parties

Procedural decision following Preliminary Meeting

27 September 2022

For those wishing to observe the Hearings that will be held during the week commencing 19 September 2022, here is the link to the livestream (which remains the same for all Hearings relating to this project).

The recording and transcript for the Preliminary Meeting have been published.

21 September 2022
  • Preliminary Meeting takes place
  • Examination begins
20 September 2022

For those wishing to observe the Hearings that will be held during the week commencing 19 September 2022, here is the link to the livestream (which remains the same for all Hearings relating to this project).

16 September 2022

The Examining Authority carried out Unaccompanied Site Inspections on Monday 5 September 2022, Tuesday 6 September 2022 and Wednesday 7 September 2022. (PDF, 180KB)

The Examining Authority has used its discretion to accept an Additional Submission from Network Rail Infrastructure Limited. (PDF, 117KB)

The Examination Library (PDF, 407KB) has been updated.

16 September 2022

The agenda for the Issue Specific Hearing 1 (ISH1) into the dDCO (PDF, 208 KB) on Wednesday 21 September 2022 has now been published.

The agenda for the Preliminary Meeting and Open Floor Hearing 1 can be found in Annex A and G of the Rule 6 letter (PDF, 697 KB) respectively.

These have been added to the Examination Library (PDF, 407 KB).

13 September 2022

Submissions for Procedural Deadline A have now been published and added to the Examination Library.

12 September 2022

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.

23 August 2022

The Examining Authority carried out Unaccompanied Site Inspections on Monday 1, Tuesday 2, Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 August 2022 (PDF, 502 KB)

The Examining Authority has also used its discretion to accept an Additional Submission from Natural England (PDF, 69 KB) and to invite the following other persons to participate in the examination:

-Janet Finch-Saunders MS, Ireland, France, Natural England, NatureScot and DAERA.

22 August 2022

The Examining Authority has used its discretion to accept an Additional Submission from Janet Finch-Saunders MS (PDF, 446KB)

The Examination Library (PDF, 402KB) has been updated.

22 July 2022

The Examining Authority has used its discretion to accept an Additional Submission from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) (PDF, 26KB)

Relevant Representations have also been published.

The Examination Library will be updated shortly.

12 July 2022
Relevant representations published on the website
12 July 2022

The Examining Authority carried out Unaccompanied Site Inspections on Monday 27 June 2022, Tuesday 28 June 2022 and Wednesday 29 June 2022. (PDF, 397KB) The note will be added to the Examination Library shortly.

08 July 2022
Registration of interested parties closes
06 July 2022

This project is at the Pre-examination stage. If you want to comment on this proposed project, you can now register to have your say. Registration will close at 23:59 on Wednesday 6 July 2022.

The Applicant submitted a set of documents on 6 June 2022, in response to s51 advice issued post-Acceptance. The Examining Authority has accepted them as additional submissions.

An additional document 6.3.3 Environmental Statement – Volume 3 – Chapter 3 – Socio-Economics (PDF, 3MB) has now been published.

09 June 2022

This project is at the Pre-examination stage. If you want to comment on this proposed project, you can now register to have your say. Registration will close at 23:59 on Wednesday 6 July 2022.

The Applicant submitted a set of documents on 6 June 2022, in response to s51 advice issued post-Acceptance. The Examining Authority has accepted them as additional submissions.

08 June 2022

Please note, a notification was previously sent confirming the Relevant Representations had been published. This was an error and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.

31 May 2022
Registration of interested parties begins
30 May 2022
Read the letter

The application has been accepted for examination

18 May 2022
Decision on whether or not to accept the application for examination
18 May 2022
  • Application expected from applicant
  • Application received by the Planning Inspectorate
20 April 2022