An RWE and SSE Renewables joint venture has launched the statutory consultation on its proposals for the North Falls Offshore Wind Farm.
North Falls is a proposed extension to the existing 504MW Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm, and comprises an offshore array area totalling 150 km sq some 20 km off the East Anglia coast.
The onshore grid connection would be located in Tendring, Essex.
Underground cables would carry power from landfall near Frinton-on-Sea around 24 kilometres to a new onshore substation.
In this third round of consultation, the project team seeks comments from communities and the wider public on its project proposals, and specifically on its preliminary environmental information report (PEIR).
This report sets out the initial findings from the thorough environmental impact assessment carried out by the project over the past three years.
This work included onshore and offshore surveys, desk-based research and stakeholder consultation to identify potential environmental and community impacts from the project, and how those impacts could be dealt with.
North Falls Project Director Andy Paine said: “The proposals presented are not the final application, but rather this is an opportunity for the local community and others to influence the details of the application before it is submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.”
Following its previous two consultation in October 2021 and October 2022, this current consultation presents updated project proposals, particularly around its three options for transmission infrastructure.
There will be an online consultation portal and two webinars plus the chance to meet the team at five Essex events in early June being held in Great Bromley, Tendring, Frinton-on-Sea, Thorpe-le-Soken and Ardleigh.
For those in coastal regions potentially impacted by views of the wind farm, North Falls has also created a 3D interactive computer model with views from 17 different coastal locations for people to be able to see how it could look.
The consultation will run until Friday 14 July 2023.