Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm TMZ – Final Report on the Stakeholder Consultation
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm TMZ – Final Report on the Stakeholder Consultation Date: 30 January 2015 Revision: Issue 1 Osprey Ref: 70791 020 This document is of UK origin and has been prepared by Osprey Consulting Services Limited (Osprey) and, subject to any existing rights of third parties, Osprey is the owner of the copyright therein. The document is furnished in confidence under existing laws, regulations and agreements covering the release of data. This document contains proprietary information of Osprey and the contents or any part thereof shall not be copied or disclosed to any third party without Osprey’s prior written consent. © Osprey Consulting Services Limited 2014 The Forge, London Road, Bentley, Hampshire. GU10 5HY 01420 520200 / [email protected] Registered in England and Wales under No: 6034579 Document Details Reference Description Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm TMZ – Final Report on Document Title the Stakeholder Consultation Document Ref 70791 020 Issue Issue 1 Date 30 January 2015 Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm TMZ – Final Report on the Stakeholder Consultation | Document 2 Details 70791 020 | Issue 1 Executive Summary DONG Energy is the Sponsor for a proposed airspace change over the existing operational Walney Offshore Wind Farms (1 and 2), the Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm, West of Duddon Sands (WoDS), Ormonde and Barrow Wind Farms, located northwest of Morecambe Bay in the Irish Sea. As part of the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Airspace Change Process (ACP)(CAP 725) [Reference 1], DONG Energy is required to submit a case to the CAA to justify the establishment of a Transponder Mandatory Zone (TMZ) over the existing Walney, WoDS, Ormonde and Barrow Wind Farms and the Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm, and to undertake a consultation exercise with all relevant stakeholders. This ensures that all stakeholders who may be affected directly or indirectly by the proposed change are consulted, as well as highlighting any environmental impacts that the proposed airspace change may have. DONG Energy has engaged Osprey Consulting Services Ltd (Osprey) to project manage the ACP on their behalf. This document is a Final Report on the consultation carried out by DONG Energy between 10th October 2014 and 11th January 2015 in accordance with the requirements of CAA CAP 725 [Reference 1]. It includes an analysis of all submissions received throughout the consultation and identifies the main issues raised by consultees. It also provides DONG Energy’s views in relation to the issues raised and outlines post-consultation action taken, or planned to be undertaken by DONG Energy. This document will form part of the Airspace Change Proposal submission to the CAA that will detail the case for the proposed TMZ. Subject of the Consultation The purpose of this consultation was to gather and analyse the views of the various stakeholders concerning a proposal to establish a TMZ over the existing Walney Wind Farms and the Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm in Morecambe Bay. Fundamentally, the aim of the consultation was to enable DONG Energy to obtain or confirm views and opinions about the impact of the proposed airspace change. Consultees The Consultation Document was circulated to a total of 72 consultee organisations or individuals; of these three emails were returned as undelivered. The aviation consultees included aviation parties such as the Ministry of Defence (MOD), airlines, aircraft operators, adjacent aerodromes, all local airspace users and the national bodies representing all UK aviation interests who may be affected by the regulatory requirements within the TMZ. National bodies such as LAA, BALPA, AOA etc. are represented through the auspices of the National Air Traffic Management Advisory Committee (NATMAC), sponsored by the CAA. A number of military organisations are also members of the NATMAC. Non-aviation stakeholders for consultation included environmental and heritage organisations, local planning authorities and the general public. Although the proposed change to the airspace Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm TMZ – Final Report on the Stakeholder Consultation | Glossary 3 70791 020 | Issue 1 lies offshore, and there are no changes to the way aircraft operate over land, the neighbouring coastal districts and parish councils were also consulted. The views of individual members of the public were also welcomed. Consultation Statistics A total of ten responses (approximately 15 % of consultees) to the consultation were received, from a total of 69 consultees. Of these, two consultees (20 %) supported the proposal to establish a TMZ over the Morecambe Bay Offshore Wind Farms; six consultees (60 %) provided a neutral response, whereby the consultee did not object or provided no comments on the proposal; and one consultee (10 %) objected to the proposal. One consultee raised other comments relating to the presence of the Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm and not to the development of the Walney TMZ. Such comments have therefore not been included in the analysis. Next Stages of the ACP The consultation process constitutes the third stage of the CAA’s overall process laid down in CAP 725 [Reference 1] leading to an Airspace Change Proposal. DONG Energy will submit a formal Airspace Change Proposal to the Airspace Regulation (AR) of the CAA detailing the case for the proposed TMZ. It is a requirement of the consultation process that DONG Energy will provide the CAA with full details of the consultation (including copies of responses and correspondence) together with all documentation necessary for the promulgation of the proposed TMZ. Following receipt of the formal Airspace Change Proposal, the CAA then requires a 16-week period to conduct its own internal analysis of the final proposal and consultation results, before arriving at a Regulatory Decision. Should the CAA, without the need for further design optimisation or analysis, accept the Airspace Change Proposal, DONG Energy suggest that the implementation of the TMZ would take place on a single date to coincide with the initial operational date of the Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm, expected to be in mid-2017. DONG Energy extend their thanks to all consultees and other individuals who took their time to participate in this consultation and for their very useful feedback. Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm TMZ – Final Report on the Stakeholder Consultation | Glossary 4 70791 020 | Issue 1 Contents 1 Glossary ......................................................................................................................................... 7 2 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 11 2.1 General ......................................................................................................................................................... 11 2.2 Subject of the Consultation ................................................................................................................. 11 2.3 Development of the Consultee List .................................................................................................. 12 2.4 Confidentiality .......................................................................................................................................... 12 2.5 Document structure ............................................................................................................................... 13 3 Consultation Statistics ............................................................................................................ 14 3.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 14 3.2 Consultee Organisations....................................................................................................................... 14 3.3 Responses ................................................................................................................................................... 15 3.4 Meetings with Major Stakeholders .................................................................................................. 16 4 Analysis of Responses ............................................................................................................. 17 4.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 17 4.2 Response Support Ratio ....................................................................................................................... 17 4.3 Key Issues arising from Consultee Responses ............................................................................ 18 4.4 Objection ..................................................................................................................................................... 19 4.5 Isle of Man Airport PSR Concerns .................................................................................................... 19 5 Post-Consultation Actions ..................................................................................................... 20 5.1 Post-Consultation Review ................................................................................................................... 20 5.2 DONG Energy Conclusions .................................................................................................................