The East Anglia THREE Offshore Wind Farm Order 2017

Post construction

19.—(1) The undertaker must, in discharging condition 13(1)(b), submit details (which accord with the in principle monitoring plan) for approval by the MMO in consultation with relevant statutory bodies of proposed post-construction surveys, including methodologies and timings, and a proposed format, content and timings for providing reports on the results. The survey proposals must specify each survey’s objectives and explain how it will assist in either informing a useful and valid comparison with the pre-construction position and/or will enable the validation or otherwise of key predictions in the environmental statement.

(2) The post-construction surveys referred to in sub-paragraph (1) must, unless otherwise agreed with the MMO, have due regard to, but not be limited to, the need to undertake—

(a) appropriate surveys of any benthic communities/benthos constituting habitats of principal importance in whole or in part inside the area(s) within the Order limits in which construction works were carried out;

(b) within twelve months of completion of the licensed activities, one full sea floor coverage swath-bathymetry survey that meets the requirements of IHO S44ed5 Order 1a across the area(s) within the Order limits in which construction works were carried out to assess any changes in bedform topography and such further monitoring or assessment as may be agreed to ensure that cables have been buried or protected;

(c) appropriate ornithological surveys covering the area(s) within the Order limits in which construction works were carried out, and any wider area(s) where appropriate, as required to test predictions in the environmental statement concerning key ornithological interests of relevance to the authorised scheme;

(d) appropriate marine mammal surveys covering the area(s) within the Order limits in which construction works were carried out and any wider area(s) where appropriate, as required to test predictions in the environmental statement concerning key marine mammal interests of relevance to the authorised scheme; and

(e) post-construction traffic monitoring in accordance with the outline navigation monitoring strategy, including the provision of reports on the results of that monitoring periodically as requested by the MMO in consultation with the MCA.

(3) The undertaker must carry out the surveys agreed under sub-paragraph (1) for up to 3 years post-construction, which could be non-consecutive years, and provide the agreed reports in the agreed format in accordance with the agreed timetable, unless otherwise agreed in writing with the MMO in consultation with the relevant statutory nature conservation bodies.

(4) Following installation of cables, the cable monitoring plan required under condition 13(1)(g)(iii) must be updated with the results of the post installation surveys. The plan must be implemented during the operational lifetime of the project and reviewed as specified within the plan, following cable burial surveys, or as instructed by the MMO.