RenewableUK has called on the UK government to respond to the quashing of consent for a major offshore wind farm in a way that supports “meaningful action” against climate change.
Deputy chief executive Melanie Onn said projects such as the 1.8GW Norfolk Vanguard must “go ahead as swiftly as possible” to deliver the 40GW by 2030 target.
Development consent for the project, which is being developed by Vattenfall, was overturned in a ruling on Thursday by Justice Holgate.
“We hope the Government will examine today’s judgement carefully and respond in a way that supports meaningful action against the most dangerous threat to our planet – climate change,” said Onn.
“This is especially important in the year when we are hosting COP26, as new projects are vital to maintain the UK’s global lead in offshore wind.”
She added: “If the UK is serious about achieving the Prime Minister’s target of 40GW of offshore wind by 2030, we need major projects like Norfolk Vanguard to go ahead as swiftly as possible. Developing new offshore wind projects will bring billions in new investment to the UK and create tens of thousands of high-quality jobs after the pandemic.”
The judicial review was brought by local resident Ray Pearce who argued the BEIS Secretary of State unlawfully excluded from consideration the cumulative visual effects of the Norfolk Vanguard wind farm taken together with Vattenfall’s adjacent 1.8GW Norfolk Boreas development, which is still in planning.