Announcements

THE PROPOSED GALLOPER WIND FARM ORDER IPC APPLICATION REFERENCE: EN010003 SECTION 56 PLANNING ACT 2008 REGULATION 9, INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING (APPLICATIONS: PRESCRIBED FORMS AND PROCEDURE) REGULATIONS 2009 NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCE OF APPLICATION FOR A DEVELOPMENT CONSENT ORDER BY THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING COMMISSION

1. Notice is herby given that the Infrastructure Planning Commission (“IPC”) has accepted an application (the “Application”) for a development consent order (“DCO”) under the Planning Act 2008 made by Galloper Wind Farm Limited (“GWFL”) of 55 Vastern Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 8BU. The Application was submitted to the IPC on 21 November 2011 and accepted on 19 December 2011 (IPC application reference: EN010003).
2. The Application seeks authorisation for the construction, operation and subsequent decommissioning of Galloper Wind Farm (GWF) comprising a proposed offshore generating station of up to 504 megawatts, onshore above ground electric line and associated development.
2.1 The offshore generating station will be located approximately 27 kilometres, at its closest point, from the Suffolk coast. It will lie partly within English territorial waters and mostly within the adjacent Renewable Energy Zone and will cover an area of up to 183 square kilometres. It will include up to 140 offshore wind turbine generators (WTGs) with a tip height of up to 195 metres, up to four offshore platforms, up to 3 offshore meteorological masts and buried subsea intra and inter-array cables in up to 3 key areas. Export cables from the WTGs will come ashore south of Sizewell on the Suffolk Coast and underground cables will connect to an onshore substation compound in Sizewell, north of Sizewell Gap, immediately to the west of the existing Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm (GGOWF) substation site. The onshore substation compound will connect via underground cables, two sealing end compounds and above ground electric lines to the existing national electricity network. The connection will be made to up to two existing transmission towers (pylons) to the north of Sizewell Gap and east/southeast of the existing GGOWF substation.
3. The proposed application is Environmental Impact Assessment development (“EIA development”). Accordingly, an Environmental Statement (ES) accompanied the Application.
4. A copy of the application form, draft DCO, ES, accompanying plans, maps and other supporting documents will be available for viewing free of charge from Monday 23 January 2012 until Friday 24 February 2012 at the places and times set out below (a reasonable copying charge may be made by the outlets for the reproduction of any of those documents):
• Suffolk County Council Headquarters, Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 2BX (open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm);
• Suffolk Coastal District Council offices, Melton Hill, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 1AU (open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 8.45am to 5.15pm, Wednesday 9.30am to 5.15pm and Friday 8.45am to 4.45pm );
• Leiston-cum-Sizewell Town Council office, Main Street, Leiston, IP16 4ER (open Monday, Tuesday 9am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 4.45pm, Thursday, Friday 9am to 12.30pm);
• Leiston Library, Old Post Office Square, Main Street, Leiston, IP16 4ER (open Tuesday 9.30am to 7.30pm, Thursday 9.30am to 5.30pm, Friday, Saturday 9.30am to 1 pm and 2pm to 5pm, Sunday 10am to 3pm);
• Aldeburgh Library, Victoria Road, Aldeburgh, IP15 5EG (open Tuesday, Thursday 10am to 5.30pm, Friday 10am to 7.30pm, Saturday 9am to 1pm, Sunday 11 am to 4pm);
• Felixstowe Library, Crescent Road, Felixstowe, IP11 7BY (open Tuesday, Thursday 9am to 5.30pm, Wednesday, Friday 9am to 7.30pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 10am to 4pm); and
• Harwich Library, Upper Kingsway, Harwich, CO12 3JT (open Monday, Tuesday 9am to 6pm, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 9am to 5pm).
5. Copies of all the application documents can be viewed online now on the GWF page of the IPC’s website at http://infrastructure.independent.gov.uk.
6. All of the application documents are also available now on GWFL’s own website at www.galloperwindfarm.com. Copies of the full suite of application documents are available on request from the address below at £10 for an electronic copy (DVD) or £500 for a hard copy. Copies of individual documents are also available on request (for hard copies a reasonable charge may apply to cover the cost of copying and postage) from:
Galloper Wind Farm Limited SSE Renewables 55 Vastern Road Reading Berkshire RG1 8BU
7. In order to make representations in respect of the GWF project it is necessary to register with the IPC. To do so an IPC Interested Party (Relevant Representation) Form must be completed. This Form can be submitted online on the IPC’s website at http://infrastructure.independent.gov.uk or requested in hard copy by calling 0303 444 5000.
Guidance on how to make a response to an application is provided in the IPC’s “Advice Note 8.3: Putting your case to the IPC”. The IPC’s application reference number (EN010003) should be quoted in any correspondence.
8. The formal period for representations starts on Monday 23 January 2012 and all representations and responses must be made on an Interested Party (Relevant Representation) Form and received by the IPC by Friday 24 February 2012. Responses must be made to the IPC not GWF