ScottishPower Renewables has announced Grove Wood, Friston, as the most appropriate location for development of the onshore substations required for its East Anglia Two and East Anglia One North offshore wind farms.
The decision comes following an additional consultation period for the projects, which, in parallel to the proposals for the Grove Wood, Friston, site, explored the opportunity to consider an alternative site at Broom Covert, Sizewell.
In response to this phase of consultation, approximately 600 responses were received, in relation to both sites, from members of the public, local interest groups, and statutory stakeholders.
This phase of consultation highlighted concerns regarding the potential impact on the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and thus compliance with National Planning Statements.
Based on responses to the consultation and extensive advice, it is ScottishPower Renewables’ view that the Grove Wood, Friston, site offers the best location for the electrical infrastructure required to input the clean energy from the proposed wind farms into the grid network.
David Walker , Development Director at ScottishPower Renewables, said: “We are now looking at the key matters raised in relation to the Grove Wood site and we are considering how these influence our plans going forward. In early 2019 we will be launching Phase 4 of our consultation and we encourage as many people as possible to continue engaging with us on the next stage of our plans.”
ScottishPower Renewables’ Phase 4 consultation will detail the approach to site selection and be based around the Environmental Statement, which will set out the proposed infrastructure and its likely environmental impacts.
The two projects, East Anglia Two and East Anglia One North with a capacity of 900MW and 800MW respectively, follow on from the 714MW East Anglia One project, currently in construction, and the 1,200MW East Anglia Three scheme, which received planning consent last year.