What happens next
A decision on the application for a Development Consent Order for Hornsea Offshore Wind Farm (Zone 4) - Project Two was taken on 16 August 2016 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 (56 items)

The Marine Management Organisation has published notices of variation to the Deemed Marine Licences.

The Applicant’s consultation proposals for a proposed change to the Hornsea Two Offshore Wind Farm Order and the Secretary of State’s consent to those consultation proposals have been published.

Representations received in response to the application for a non-material change to the Hornsea Offshore Wind Farm (Zone 4) – Project Two Development Consent Order have been published.

The Secretary of State has decided under paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 6 to the Planning Act 2008 to make a non-material change to The Hornsea Two Offshore Wind Farm Order 2016 and has published The Hornsea Two Offshore Wind Farm (Amendment) Order 2018.
An application for a second non-material change to the Hornsea Offshore Wind Farm (Zone 4) – Project Two Development Consent Order has been made by Optimus Wind Limited and Breesea Limited.
If you wish to make a representation, this should be emailed to [email protected] or posted to:
Hornsea 2 Project
The Planning Inspectorate
Temple Quay House
2 The Square
Bristol
BS1 6PN
The deadline for making a representation is 23:59 on 26 March 2018.

An application for a non-material change to the Hornsea Offshore Wind Farm (Zone 4) – Project Two Development Consent Order has been made by Optimus Wind Limited and Breesea Limited.
If you wish to make a representation, this should be emailed to [email protected] or posted to:
Hornsea 2 Project
The Planning Inspectorate
Temple Quay House
2 The Square
Bristol
BS1 6PN
The deadline for making a representation is 23:59 on 26 March 2018.

An application for a non-material change to the Hornsea Offshore Wind Farm (Zone 4) – Project Two Development Consent Order has been made by Optimus Wind Limited and Breesea Limited.
If you wish to make a representation, this should be emailed to [email protected] or posted to:
Major Applications & Plans
3/18 Eagle Wing
Temple Quay House
2 The Square
Bristol, BS1 6PN
The deadline for making a representation is 11.59pm on Monday 18 December 2017.

The Applicant’s consultation proposals for a proposed change to the Hornsea Two Offshore Wind Farm Order and the Secretary of State’s consent to those consultation proposals are now published.

The Secretary of State has issued a Correction Notice and Correction Order for the Hornsea Offshore Wind farm (Zone 4)- Project Two Order.

The Secretary of State has granted development consent for this application.
For further information, please refer to the following decision documentation.
Secretary of State’s Decision Letter which includes the Statement of Reasons
Development Consent Order made by the Secretary of State
Hornsea Project 2 – Recommendation Report
Notice of the Decision by the Secretary of State (Reg 23)


The responses to the secretary of state for the Department of Energy and Climate Change letter issued 12 July 2016 have now been published.

The secretary of state for the Department of Energy and Climate Change has issued a Request for Comments.
The deadline for responses to this letter is 19 July 2016.

The responses to secretary of state for the Department of Energy and Climate Change letter have now been published.

The secretary of state for the Department of Energy and Climate Change has issued a letter regarding a further extension to the deadline for responses to the consultation request issued on the 28 April 2016.
The deadline for responses is now 24 June 2016.

The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change a notification of extension to the deadline for the responses to the letter issued 28 April.
The deadline for responses has been extended to 13 May 2016. Correspondence regarding this has now been issued.

Responses to the request for comments by the Department of Energy and Climate Change in their letter dated 7 April 2016 have now been published.

The Planning Inspectorate submitted a recommendation report to the Secretary of State on 16 March 2016
The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change issued a consultation letter to Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Natural England on 29 March 2016.

The Examining Authority (ExA) completed its examination of the application on 16 December 2015 and will now report on its findings. The ExA’s report and recommendation must be submitted to the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change on or before 16 March 2016. The Secretary of State will then have a further 3 months to make its decision on whether development consent should be granted.
The Planning Inspectorate would like to thank everyone who has participated in this examination.

Submissions received for Deadline 8 have now been published. Comments can be submitted up to 11.59pm on 16 December 2015

The Submissions by the Applicant on 4 December 2015 and a Rule 17 have been published.

A Rule 17 letter requesting further information has been published.
The Report on the Implications for European sites has also been published
Documents for Deadline 6 have been published.

The Planning Inspectorate have notified all interested parties of a change in the examination timetable in relation to the Report of the Implications on European Sites (RIES). This is now being issued at deadline 6 with comments to be received by deadline 7. The content of the letter is correct however the annexed timetable contains an error. Comments on the RIES are not due at deadline 6.

The audio recordings from the following hearings have now been published:
Issue specific hearing – 27 October

All deadline 4 documents have now been published.
Please note there is an error on page 8 of the Agenda for the Issue Specific and Compulsory Acquisition hearings the Planning Inspectorate wishes to confirm there will not be a hearing held on the 30 October 2015.

The Agenda for Issue Specific and Compulsory Acquisition hearings have now been published.

The Examining Authority have issued their second round of written questions and notification of the upcoming hearings.

An amended document containing Second Round of Written Questions has been published. There is now additional wording to question G10 in relation to seeking views regarding proposes amendments to the order limits.

The ExA has accepted representations from the Applicant, DONG – Hornsea Project 2, Natural England and E.ON Exploration and Production UK Limited in advance of the hearings taking place from 15 September to the 18 September 2015.

The agendas for the issue specific hearing (15 and 16 September) and the compulsory acquisition hearing (17 and 18 September) are now available to view.

Submissions for Deadline 2a –Responses to Rule 17 issued by the Examining Authority on 25 August 2015 have now been published

A Rule 17 letter has been issued by the Examining Authority following the Accompanied Site Inspection and first Issue Specific Hearing.

The ExA, having reviewed deadline 1 responses from all interested parties, has taken the decision, as advised in the Rule 8 letter and examination timetable, to not hold the Open Floor Hearing on 28 July 2015. Therefore no hearing will take place on 28 July 2015.
A site visit itinerary to be held on 29 July 2015 and agenda for the issue-specific hearing to be held on 30 July 2015 have been published.
The case team will be emailing all those who have confirmed attendance on the site visit this afternoon, if you do not receive an email but wish to attend please contact the Hornsea Project team.

The Rule 8 and the First Round of Examining Authority’s Written Questions have now been published.
The audio recording and note of the Preliminary Meeting held on 16 June is now available.
The Examination Library has also been updated for this project.

The Examination Timetable (Rule 8 letter) has been sent to Interested Parties
Procedural decision following Preliminary Meeting

The audio recording of the Preliminary Meeting held on 16 June is now available.
The Examination Library has also been updated for this project.

- Preliminary Meeting takes place
- Examination begins

The Examining Authority have issued the Rule 6 letter, notifying of the Preliminary Meeting and draft examination timetable. The Examining Authority have also accepted a number of documents submitted by the Applicant during the pre-examination period.
The Examination Library has been published for this project.
The Rule 6 has been republished following an incorrect email address. If you have already attempted to contact the case team using the previous @infrastructure address, please resend to [email protected].

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 representation period has now closed. The relevant representations have been published.



You can now register as an interested partyRegister online
If you are unable to complete a registration form online and would like to register your interest, please call the helpline on: 0303 444 5000 to request a paper form. Advice Note about Registering
The Applicant has submitted a letter to the Inspectorate regarding the incorrect uploading of the Aviation, Military and Communication Technical Report (Doc ref 7.5.8.1). The correct document and the letter have both been published. Please note the Inspectorate had received the document in hard copy for the acceptance.



This application was received by the Planning Inspectorate on 30 January 2015.
The applicant has agreed that all application documents can be published as soon as practicable upon submission to help everyone become familiar with the detail of what is being proposed in this application.
This provision is solely for the purpose of allowing more time to all those who wish to become familiar with the detail of what is being proposed ahead of the relevant representation period without lengthening the overall time required for the application process. There will be no opportunity at this stage to make comments on the application. However, if the application is accepted anyone interested in the application will be able to register and express their views during the relevant representation stage and the subsequent examination.
View guidance on the requirements and procedures of the pre-application process


A new voluntary evidence plan process, which is the responsibility of the Major Infrastructure and Environment Unit (MIEU) which sits within Defra, seeks to address Habitats Directive issues in development consent order applications. An evidence plan has now been published for the Hornsea Project Two.