The Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Order 2013

Post construction surveys

15.—(1) The undertaker shall, in discharging condition 9(3) submit details for written approval by the MMO in consultation with Natural England and JNCC of proposed post-construction surveys, including methodologies and timings, and a proposed format, content and timings for providing reports on the results at least four months prior to the commencement of any survey works detailed within. The survey proposals shall 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 15(1) shall unless otherwise agreed with the MMO have due regard to, but not be limited to, the need to undertake—

(a) a survey of ornithological activity inside the areas within the Order limits in which construction works were carried out, and any wider areas where appropriate, which is required to test predictions in the environmental statement concerning key ornithological interests of relevance to the authorised scheme;

(b) one high resolution swath bathymetric survey and side scan sonar survey per annum around a sample of adjacent turbines to a distance of three turbine spacings to assess any changes in seabed topography. For this purpose the undertaker will prior to the first such survey submit a desk based assessment (which takes account of all factors which influence scour) to identify the sample of adjacent turbines with greatest potential for scour. The survey will be used to validate the desk based assessment: further surveys beyond the maximum period of 3 years post-construction specified in sub-paragraph (3) may be required if there are significant differences between the modelled scour and recorded scour;

(c) a survey to determine the location, extent and composition of any benthic habitats of conservation, ecological and or economic importance to validate predictions made in the environmental statement;

(d) a survey of fish species of particular relevance to the authorised scheme within the Order limits in which construction works were carried out, and any wider areas where appropriate, for comparison against the results of the baseline survey;

(e) dependent on the outcome of the survey undertaken in condition 13(2)(a), a survey to determine the effects of construction activity on any benthic Annex 1 Habitat in whole or in part inside the areas within the Order limits.

(3) The undertaker shall carry out the surveys approved under sub-paragraph (1) for a period of 3 years post-construction 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 Natural England and JNCC.