Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects
A number of nationally significant infrastructure projects are proposed for development either in Suffolk or off of the coast. These include:
Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station - more information on this project is available here.
East Anglia Offshore Wind Farm - the Development Consent Order (DCO) for Project ONE was granted by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in June 2014. Construction is now underway. More information on this process is available here.
Project THREE has also been granted a Development Consent Order by Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. More information is available here.
Scottish Power Renewables (SPR) are currently consulting on the proposed East Anglia ONE NORTH and East Anglia TWO offshore windfarms. The proposed onshore elements of this schemes include cable landfall north of Thorpeness with a cable corridor running north and then west to their preferred substations location just north of Friston (which will comprise of three substations, two for SPR and one for National Grid). Whilst we understand that ecological survey and assessment work is currently being carried out to inform the project, to date none of this information has been made public.
From the information currently available it appears that the proposed development has the potential to result in adverse impacts on a range of protected and UK Priority species and habitats, including (but not limited to) the Sandlings Special Protection Area (SPA), bats and great crested newts. Suffolk Wildlife Trust are currently preparing a response to the Phase 3 public consultation, setting out our concerns about these potential impacts. We will also continue to engage with SPR to ensure that sufficient surveys are carried out to enable proper assessment of the likely impacts of the developments as part of the Development Consent Order (DCO) process. More information on these schemes is available here and here.
Galloper Offshore Wind Farm - a Development Consent Order has been granted for this project. More information is available here.