East Suffolk Council
Councils welcome renewed Government efforts to reduce impact of offshore wind on Suffolk communities
Suffolk County Council and East Suffolk Council have welcomed the renewed effort, announced by the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) on 31 January, to try to ensure that Suffolk communities benefit from coordinated connections of offshore wind before 2030.
As part of a webinar on the Offshore Transmission Network Review, it was announced that BEIS officials would be initiating a program of activity working with offshore wind developers, interconnectors, and the onshore transmission owner, facilitated by the trade body Renewable UK, to explore more ambitious regional coordination with a specific focus on East Anglia.
It was acknowledged during the webinar, that proposals currently put forward by developers identifying early opportunities for coordination, particularly in East Anglia, could go further.
This work will run in parallel with the Holistic Network Design (HND), expected to be published in June 2022, which will set out the required onshore network reinforcements and how the connections of future offshore wind projects coming through the seabed leasing process will be coordinated.
Councillor Richard Rout, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment and Finance at Suffolk County Council, said:
“I am pleased that the Government has recognised that Suffolk’s communities need to see tangible and substantive benefits, from the Early Opportunities Workstream of the Offshore Transmission Network Review. I remain very concerned that many of what are called, the ‘in-flight’ projects, do not seem to have been prepared to work effectively, with BEIS and others, to create the pathfinders needed, to deliver coordination, and reduce impacts on our communities.”
Councillor Craig Rivett, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economic Development at East Suffolk Council, said:
“East Suffolk’s communities must see real benefits from the Offshore Transmission Network Review, as soon as possible. I understand this is a big challenge for Government and developers, but our communities really do need to see some action now, after what has been a lot of talking, it is time to get a grip.”