UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Andrea Leadsom has postponed a planning decision on Vattenfall’s 1800MW Norfolk Vanguard offshore wind farm off the coast of East Anglia in England.
A final decision on the project was due to be taken this week, but a recent letter from BEIS requests more information on a host of issues including traffic management, marine wildlife, visual impact and construction plans.
A final call will now be made later, on a date to be decided once Parliament resumes following the UK general election on 12 December.
The Secretary of State is asking Vattenfall, local councils, Natural England, the Marine Management Organisation and the Coastguard Agency to provide further input on proposals by 28 February 2020.
More information is being sought on in-combination impacts of turbines on kittiwake and black backed gull populations, as well as the impact of export cables on the Haisborough, Hammond and Winterton Special Area of Conservation.
The developer and interested parties have been asked to submit more information on possible compensatory measures to limit the developments impact on wildlife, document’s show.
More information is also required on existing plans to manage noise levels during construction, traffic movements around Cawston, construction hours and the visual impacts of the project’s onshore substation at Necton.