The Development Consent Order (DCO) process
In October 2022, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy issued a direction under section 35 of the Planning Act 2008 that the Project should be treated as a development for which development consent is required.
Consent to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission the Project will therefore be sought under the Planning Act 2008.
The Morgan Offshore Wind Project and the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm (Generation Assets) are each considered to be Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (“NSIPs”) and will be the subject of separate applications for development consent.
Our final application for development consent for the Project will include:
- A Consultation Report which will set out consultations undertaken for the Project, and a summary of consultation responses received.
- An Environmental Statement setting out an assessment of the impacts likely to give risk to significant environmental effects and the proposed mitigation.
- A draft Development Consent Order.
The application for development consent will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate and Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. The Planning Inspectorate will then follow a number of steps to receive and review the application, seeking further comment from interested bodies and individuals.
If the application is accepted, a preexamination stage will begin, with opportunities for local community members to register as interested parties on the Planning Inspectorate’s website and request to take part in the examination process.
The Planning Inspectorate will then examine the DCO application, with input from interested parties and statutory consultees.
Following the examination, the Planning Inspectorate will present its recommendation to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, who will then make the final decision on whether the DCO should be granted.
To register your interest and follow the Planning Inspectorate’s consultation process, visit www.gov.uk/government/organisations/planning-inspectorate.
If, as a result of the feedback received during our statutory consultation, the Project needs to change to an extent that it is necessary to carry out further statutory consultation, this will be carried out in accordance with the principles set out in our Statement of Community Consultation (“SoCC”) and targeted geographically, or by group, as is appropriate to the change.
How the DCO application process works:
