The Hornsea Three Offshore Wind Farm Order 2020

Decommissioning of cable protection within marine protected areas

24.—(1) The obligations under paragraphs (2) and (3) shall only apply if and to the extent that—

(a) cable protection is installed as part of the authorised project within an area designated as a European Site or MCZ as at the date of the grant of the Order; and

(b) it is a requirement of the written decommissioning programme approved by the Secretary of State pursuant to sections 105 of the 2004 Act, including any modification to the programme under section 108, that such cable protection is removed as part of the decommissioning of the authorised project.

(2) Within such timeframe as specified within the decommissioning programme approved by the Secretary of State, the undertaker shall carry out an appropriate survey of cables within Work Nos. 2(c), 2(d), 3(c) and 3(d) that are subject to cable protection and that are situated within any European Site or MCZ to assess the integrity and condition of that cable protection and determine the appropriate extent of the feasibility of the removal of such cable protection having regard to the condition of the cable protection and feasibility of any new removal techniques at that time, and submit that along with a method statement for recovery of cable protection to the MMO.

(3) Within such timeframe as specified within the decommissioning programme approved by the Secretary of State, the MMO must confirm whether or not it is satisfied with the method statement pursuant to (2) above.

(4) If the MMO has confirmed it is satisfied pursuant to (3) above, then within such timeframe as specified within the decommissioning programme approved by the Secretary of State, the undertaker shall endeavour to recover the cable protection to the extent identified in the survey and according to the methodology set out in the method statement submitted pursuant to (2) above.