The Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm Order 2014

Detailed design approval onshore E+W

16.—(1) No stage of the connection works shall commence until details of the layout, scale, levels and external appearance of that stage have been submitted to and approved by the relevant planning authority. The connection works must be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

(2) Any works approved by the relevant planning authority under sub-paragraph (1) must accord with the plans (or relevant parts of plans) listed in Requirement 17 and the principles set out in the design and access statement and be within the Order limits.

(3) The connection works and maintenance thereof comprised within the area of onshore cable corridor between points XX and YY shown on the works plans for Work No. 3B shall—

(a) only be undertaken by means of horizontal directional drilling from construction working sites located west of point XX and/or east of point YY;

(b) comprise a horizontal directional drilling entry/exit point no less than 50 metres west of point XX on the works plans for Work No. 3B;

(c) comprise a horizontal directional drilling entry/exit point no less than 20 metres east of point YY on the works plans for Work No. 3B; and

(d) not involve the placing or transportation of any plant, apparatus, cables, cable ducts or any other materials required for the carrying out of the connection works on or over that land, provided that the undertaker may place or transport (by hand and on foot only) such equipment and/or means of enclosure, on or over that land, as may be required to—

(i) contain and/or remove fluid used in the horizontal directional drilling process including the placing of hoses along the northern Order limit between points XX and YY shown on the works plans for Work No. 3B as approved by the relevant planning authority, in consultation with Natural England and the MMO; and

(ii) mitigate the horizontal directional drilling process in accordance with the environmental management and monitoring plan approved pursuant to this Requirement.

(4) The connection works comprised in Work Nos. 3A and 3B between points XX and YY shown on the works plans must not be commenced until an environmental management and monitoring plan has been approved by the relevant planning authority, in consultation with Natural England and the MMO. The environmental management and monitoring plan must be submitted for approval at least four months prior to the commencement of those connection works, or within such other timescale as agreed with the relevant planning authority.

(5) The environmental management and monitoring plan must include details of the location, method and timing of surveys of the land within the Order limits between points XX and YY shown on the works plans to—

(a) establish the pre-construction baseline condition of the saltmarsh and the distribution of the Lycia zonaria britannica (Belted Beauty Moth) in that location; and

(b) record within a five year period following completion of construction the ecological recovery of the saltmarsh and the distribution of the Lycia zonaria britannica (Belted Beauty Moth) in that location and, if applicable, any receptor site to which the Lycia zonaria britannica (Belted Beauty Moth) has been translocated.

(6) The environmental management and monitoring plan must include details of the methodology for undertaking the connection works comprised in Work Nos. 3A and 3B between points XX and YY shown on the works plans by horizontal directional drilling, and mitigation measures relating thereto, including—

(a) details of the equipment required to contain and/or remove fluid used in the horizontal directional drilling process;

(b) details of means of enclosure to be deployed (if any);

(c) the use of a drill bit of no less than 12.25 inches;

(d) the use of a real time downhole annular pressure monitor;

(e) details of how the length of each drill path will be minimised;

(f) details of the training of personnel to be employed in relation to the horizontal directional drilling and/or mitigation measures;

(g) the employment of an Ecological Clerk of Works and scope of duties relating to that role;

(h) details of how the number of trips made between points XX and YY shown on the works plans will be minimised;

(i) details of the methodology and location of suitable receptor sites associated with the translocation of the Lycia zonaria britannica (Belted Beauty Moth), should such translocation be required by the relevant planning authority, having consulted with Natural England and the MMO;

(j) details of the methodology for preventing birds from nesting above the alignment of each horizontal directional drill, such methodology may include visual and/or sound deterrents, and/or physical barriers; and

(k) details of how the connection works will be maintained (if applicable).

(7) The environmental management and monitoring plan must be implemented as approved, except to the extent that any changes to the plan are agreed by the relevant planning authority, in consultation with Natural England and the MMO, and provided that the undertaker shall not be required to carry out the post-construction monitoring of the ecological recovery of the saltmarsh in sub-paragraph (5)(b) in the event that no fluid used in the horizontal directional drilling process is released into the saltmarsh between points XX and YY shown on the works plans.

(8) No part of Work No. 6 shall—

(a) comprise more than five transition joint bays;

(b) comprise a transition joint bay having a length greater than 14 metres and a width greater than 4 metres and a depth of greater than 2 metres;

(c) comprise more than ten pits for the fibre optic joints and link boxes;

(d) comprise a fibre optic joint pit having a length greater than 1.5 metres and a width greater than 1.5 metres and a depth of greater than 2 metres;

(e) comprise a link box pit having a length greater than 1.5 metres and a width greater than 1.5 metres and a depth of greater than 2 metres;

(f) comprise a combined pit for the fibre optic joint and link box having a length greater than 3 metres and a width greater than 3 metres and a depth of greater than 2 metres.

(9) The total footprint of Work No. 6 shall not exceed 100 metres in length and 100 metres in width.

(10) No part of the onshore cable corridor occupied by the connection works shall—

(a) comprise more than two cable trenches, each having a width greater than 3.6 metres or a depth greater than 3 metres;

(b) comprise more than fifteen horizontal directional drill holes;

(c) comprise horizontal directional drill holes at a depth greater than 40 metres below existing ground level.

(11) The onshore cable corridor shall comprise—

(a) no more than 25 cable jointing bays, each having a length no greater than 10 metres and a width no greater than 3 metres and a depth of no greater than 2 metres;

(b) no more than 50 pits for the fibre optic joints and link boxes;

(c) a fibre optic joint pit having a length no greater than 1.5 metres and a width no greater than 1.5 metres and a depth of no greater than 2 metres;

(d) a link box pit having a length no greater than 1.5 metres and a width no greater than 1.5 metres and a depth of no greater than 2 metres;

(e) a combined pit for the fibre optic joint and link box having a length no greater than 3 metres and a width no greater than 3 metres and a depth of no greater than 2 metres.

(12) No building(s) forming part of Work No. 25 shall exceed—

(a) a height of 15 metres above developmental ground level or 21 metres above AOD;

(b) a total footprint of 170 metres in length and 170 metres in width, unless otherwise agreed by the relevant planning authority.

(13) The developmental ground level of the building(s) forming part of Work No. 25 must not be lower than 5.1 metres AOD or higher than 6 metres above AOD, unless otherwise agreed by the relevant planning authority.

(14) The fenced compound comprised in Work No. 25 must not exceed 170 metres by 170 metres.

(15) No external equipment or apparatus comprised in Work No. 25 shall exceed 23 metres above developmental ground level or 29 metres above AOD.

Commencement Information

I1 Sch. 1 Pt. 3 para. 16 in force at 28.11.2014, see art. 1