Planning Statement
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DOCUMENT 7.1 Planning Statement National Grid (Richborough Connection Project) Order Regulation 5(2)(q) of the Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 and TEN-E Regulation EU347/2013 Application Ref: EN020017 January 2016 Richborough Connection Project Volume 7 7.1 Planning Statement National Grid National Grid House Warwick Technology Park Gallows Hill Warwick CV34 6DA Final January 2016 Richborough Connection Project – Volume 7, Document 7.1 Page intentionally blank Richborough Connection Project – Volume 7, Document 7.1 Document Control Document Properties Organisation Arup Author Arup Approved by David Grattan and Peter Hulson, Arup Title Planning Statement Document Reference 7.1 Version History Date Version Status Description/Changes 04/01/16 1 Final 1st Issue Final i January 2016 Richborough Connection Project – Volume 7, Document 7.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Planning Statement has been prepared to accompany an application by National Grid Electricity Transmission plc (National Grid) for a Development Consent Order (DCO) under Section 37 of the Planning Act 2008 (the Act) for a new 400,000 volt (400kV) overhead line connection between the existing Canterbury North 400kV Substation in Canterbury and the permitted Richborough 400kV Substation near Sandwich, in Kent. Together with additional infrastructure identified as Associated Development and the removal of the existing 132,000 volt (132kV) overhead line between Richborough and Canterbury, this is known as the Richborough Connection project (the proposed development). The proposed development falls within the administrative boundaries of Kent County, Canterbury City, Thanet District and Dover District Councils in the south east of England. The proposed development is required to provide the necessary electricity transmission infrastructure, to facilitate the development of the Nemo Link® which will provide greater opportunities for the UK to trade in wider European power markets by exporting energy and to take advantage of energy generated by renewable sources in Europe. This will assist the UK in meeting its renewable energy targets. This Planning Statement considers the compliance of the proposed development as a whole with the requirements of relevant planning policy. An assessment has been made against National Policy Statements (NPS) EN-1 (Overarching Policy Statement for Energy) and EN-5 (Electricity Networks Infrastructure), which form the primary policy context against which the Richborough Connection project should be assessed. This Planning Statement demonstrates that the scheme is supported both in principle and within the detail of the scheme, when considered against the ‘assessment principles’ and ‘generic impacts’ required by NPSs EN-1 and EN-5. The Planning Statement has assessed the proposed development against the National Planning Policy Framework policies which are considered to be of relevance to the proposed development. The Planning Statement has also considered the proposed development against Local Plan policies; recognising that such policies may be material considerations in the context of an application for development consent. Although there are no explicit policies which reference the proposed development, the Richborough Connection project is broadly consistent with the objectives of those plans with regard to minimising adverse effects arising from construction and operational activities. The Act requires that an application for development consent should be decided in accordance with NPSs EN-1 and EN-5. It is the conclusion of this Planning Statement that the proposed development is in accordance with the NPSs providing significant benefits in supporting the security of the UK’s energy supply. It is not considered that there are any adverse effects which would outweigh the benefits of the proposed development. Overall, it is considered that the planning balance lies strongly in favour of the grant of development consent for the proposed development. Final i January 2016 Richborough Connection Project – Volume 7, Document 7.1 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................... I 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Purpose and structure .......................................................................................................... 1 2 BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 National Grid .......................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Need for the proposed development.................................................................................... 3 2.3 Overview of the proposed development .............................................................................. 4 2.4 Planning Act 2008 and TEN-E Regulation EU 347/2013 ...................................................... 5 2.5 Application for the DCO ........................................................................................................ 5 2.6 Draft DCO ............................................................................................................................... 8 2.7 Plans and drawings ............................................................................................................... 8 2.8 Details of other consents and licences ................................................................................ 9 2.9 Statements of common ground .......................................................................................... 10 3 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT .............................................................................................. 16 3.1 Administrative boundaries and physical context ............................................................. 16 3.2 Proposed development ....................................................................................................... 17 3.3 Development description .................................................................................................... 18 3.4 Order limits .......................................................................................................................... 25 3.5 Limits of Deviation .............................................................................................................. 25 3.6 Measures within scheme design ........................................................................................ 26 3.7 Requirements of the Draft DCO .......................................................................................... 27 3.8 Obligations .......................................................................................................................... 28 4 APPROACH TO NEW ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION ...................................................... 29 4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 29 4.2 Design principles ................................................................................................................ 29 4.3 National Grid’s approach to undergrounding ................................................................... 30 4.4 The design and routeing of new electricity transmission lines ....................................... 31 4.5 Design evolution and review process ................................................................................ 35 4.6 Pylon design options appraisal .......................................................................................... 40 4.7 The proposed application – final design evolution ........................................................... 41 4.8 Holford Rules ....................................................................................................................... 43 4.9 Summary .............................................................................................................................. 52 5 NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY CONTEXT ........................................................................ 53 5.1 Context ................................................................................................................................. 53 5.2 Overarching National Policy Statement for energy (EN-1) ............................................... 54 5.3 National Policy Statement for electricity networks infrastructure (EN-5) ........................ 55 5.4 National Planning Policy Framework ................................................................................. 56 6 NATIONAL POLICY ASSESSMENT .................................................................................... 57 6.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 57 6.2 Assessment principles ....................................................................................................... 61 6.3 Generic impacts .................................................................................................................. 69 6.4 NPPF ...................................................................................................................................