4.13.   Consultation and Stakeholder Engagement

4.13. Consultation and Stakeholder Engagement

4.13.1.              Scoping and Screening Documents Submitted

  1. Table-4.13   Open ▸ nbelow provides a summary of the key EIA screening and scoping documents submitted to date as part of the development and refinement of the Proposed Development.

 

Table 4.13:
Documents Submitted for the Initial Berwick Bank Wind Farm and the Berwick Bank Wind Farm

Table 4.13: Documents Submitted for the Initial Berwick Bank Wind Farm and the Berwick Bank Wind Farm

 

4.13.2.              Community Roadshow

  1. The community roadshow took place 25 - 29 October 2021. Members of the project team were available to answer questions at 17 locations throughout East Lothian, as detailed below:
  • 25 October 2021:

–           North Berwick High Street; and

–           North Berwick Community Centre, 8 Law Road, EH39 4PN.

  • 26 October 2021:

–           Tesco, Tantallon Rd, North Berwick EH39 5NF;

–           Dirleton, Main Road, EH39 5EP;

–           Gullane, Main Street; and

–           North Berwick Sports Centre, Grange Rd, Eh39 4QS.

  • 27 October 2021:

–           Dunbar High Street;

–           Skateraw;

–           Thorntonloch; and

–           Innerwick, Village Hall.

  • 28 October 2021:

–           Melbourne Rd, outside Scottish Seabird Centre;

–           Aldi, Dunbar Rd, North Berwick EH39 4DQ;

–           Whitekirk; and

–           East Linton, Community Hall.

  • 29 October 2021:

–           Hallhill Sports Centre, Kellie Road, Dunbar, EH42 1RF;

–           Broxburn, Main Street; and

–           West Barns, Edinburgh Road.

  1. During the roadshow members of the Project team presented project maps including distances to shore, indicative 3D models of the Proposed Development array area, Proposed Development export cable corridor, potential landfall locations, onshore cable corridors and onshore substation infrastructure. On each day the Project team were also on hand to answer any queries or concerns members of the public had regarding our proposals.

4.13.3.              Consultation Events

  1. The change from 2020 Berwick Bank Project to the 2021 Berwick Bank Wind Farm and the subsequent boundary change (Proposed Development) was notified to key consultees, stakeholders, and the public through various communication streams, including the Project website.
  2. An early informal in-person and virtual public exhibition was held in October 2021. For this, the combined Proposed Development array areas were presented. At this exhibition, the Project had progressed the site selection phase and provided information on:
  • the selected Skateraw Landfall and the associated Proposed Development export cable corridor from the Proposed Development array area; and
  • the selected onshore Skateraw Substation site and selected onshore cable route from landfall to the onshore substation and then onwards to SP Energy Networks (SPEN)’s Branxton 400 kV Substation (proposed substation).
    1. The formal public exhibition for the Project took place in March 2022. This exhibition was both in-person and virtual as detailed in volume 1, chapter 5. At this exhibition, details of the final stage of the site selection process, as assessed as part of the Onshore and Offshore EIA Reports were presented.
    2. In July 2022, an extensive leaflet drop was undertaken notifying key consultees, stakeholders, and the public of the boundary change and providing additional information on other measures being introduced by the project to address climate change and nature emergencies.

4.14.   Conclusion

4.14. Conclusion

  1. The site selection process explained within this chapter of the Offshore EIA Report has culminated in the Application for the Proposed Development. The Applicant has endeavoured to take on board points raised by stakeholders during the offshore EIA scoping phase for the Proposed Development, in relation to the site selection and/or design.
  2. As discussed in volume 2, chapter 6, a maximum design scenario approach has been implemented when assessing any impacts arising from the Proposed Development as part of this Offshore EIA Report. The final design will fall within the maximum PDE parameters to ensure that it is compliant with the Proposed Development as assessed in the Offshore EIA Report.

4.15.   References

4.15. References

CCC (undated). Advice on reducing the UK’s emissions. Available at:https://www.theccc.org.uk/about/our-expertise/advice-on-reducing-the-uks-emissions/. Accessed on 14 April 2022

Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) (2009a). Offshore Energy – Strategic Environmental Assessment – Post Public Consultation Report. Available at: Microsoft Word - OE SEA Post Consultation Report.doc (publishing.service.gov.uk). Accessed on: 06/01/2022.

Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) (2009b). Future Leasing for Offshore Wind Farms and Licensing for Offshore Oil and Gas and Gas Storage. Non-Technical Summary. Available at: Microsoft Word - Non Technical Summary Final 260109.doc (publishing.service.gov.uk). Accessed on: 20 September 2021.

Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) (2011a). Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy (EN-1). Available at: 1938-overarching-nps-for-energy-en1.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk). Accessed on: 21 September 2021.

Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) (2011b). National Policy Statement for Renewable Energy Infrastructure (EN-3). Available at: 1940-nps-renewable-energy-en3.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk). Accessed on: 21 September 2021.

JNCC (2019). Southern North Sea MPA | JNCC - Adviser to Government on Nature Conservation. Available at www.jncc.gov.uk/our-work/southern-north-sea-mpa/#site-timeline. Accessed on 22 December 2021.

JNCC (2022). Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex SPA. Available at: Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex SPA | JNCC - Adviser to Government on Nature Conservation. Accessed on: 23 February 2022.

MacDonald, A., Speirs, D.C., Greenstreet, S.P.R. and Heath, M.R. (2018). Exploring the Influence of Food and Temperature on North Sea Sandeels Using a New Dynamic Energy Budget Model. Front. Mar. Sci. 5:339. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2018.00339. Available at: Exploring the influence of food and temperature on North Sea sandeels using a new dynamic energy budget model - Strathprints. Accessed on: 23 February 2022.

Marine Scotland (2021). Marine Licence – Construction of Export Cable – Seagreen 1A Export Cable Corridor, Firth of Forth – 00009291. Available at: Marine Licence – Construction of Export Cable – Seagreen 1A Export Cable Corridor, Firth of Forth - 00009291 | Marine Scotland Information. Accessed on: 23 February 2022.

Marine Scotland Licensing Operations Team (2021a). Scoping Opinion for Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm. Available at: Scoping Opinion – Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm | Marine Scotland Information.

Marine Scotland Licensing Operations Team (2021b). HRA Screening Report Response for Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm. Available at: HRA Screening Report Response - Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm | Marine Scotland Information.

RSPB (2017). Kittiwake joins the red list of birds facing risk of global extinction. Available at: https://www.rspb.org.uk/about-the-rspb/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/kittiwakeredlist/. Accessed on 17 January 2022.

Scottish Government (2018). Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (encompassing Deep Water Plan Options). Context Report, June 2018. Available at: Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (encompassing Deep Water Plan Options): Context Report (www.gov.scot). Accessed on: 21 September 2021.

Scottish Government (2019a). The Global Climate Emergency - Scotland's Response: Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham's statemen. Available at: The Global Climate Emergency - Scotland's Response: Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham's statement - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). Accessed on 31 August 2022.

Scottish Government (2019b). Draft Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (2019). Available at: Draft Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (2019) (www.gov.scot). Accessed on: 21 September 2021.

Seagreen (2010a). Zone Appraisal and Planning Firth of Forth Zone Characterisation. Seagreen Document No. A6SW/SEAG-Z-DEV260-SWR-017-A2. Seagreen, Glasgow.

Seagreen (2010b). Zone Consenting Strategy. Seagreen Document No. A4MR/SEAG-Z-MGT110-SST-029. Seagreen, Glasgow.

Seagreen (2011). Zone Appraisal and Planning: Update December 2011. Seagreen Document No, A4MR/SEAG-Z-DEV260-SRP-118 (December 2011).

Seagreen (2014). Zone Appraisal and Planning: Update 2. Seagreen Document No. A4MR-SEAGZDEV260-SRP-279 (April 2014).

SSER (2020a). 2020 Berwick Bank Wind Farm Scoping Report. Available at: https://www.sserenewables.com/media/0t5n05b4/berwick-bank-wind-farm-offshore-scoping-report.pdf

SSER (2020b). Indicative Export Cable Corridor Design. Seagreen Charlie Wind Energy Limited and Seagreen Delta Wind Energy Limited.

SSER (2020c). 2020 Berwick Bank Wind Farm: HRA Screening Report. Available at: https://www.berwickbank.com/planning-and-consent

SSER (2021a). Berwick Bank Wind Farm Offshore Scoping Report. Available at: https://www.berwickbank.com/planning-and-consent

SSER (2021b). Berwick Bank Wind Farm Offshore HRA Screening Report. Available at: https://www.berwickbank.com/planning-and-consent

SSE Renewables Developments (UK) (2021c). Berwick Bank Wind Farm Berwick Bank Blade Tip to Sea Clearance Sensitivity Study.

Trinder (2017). Estimates of Ornithological Headroom in Offshore Wind Farm Collision Mortality. Unpublished report to The Crown Estate (submitted as Appendix 43 to Deadline I submission Hornsea Project Three: TCE Ornithology Headroom Estimates FINAL 24_02_2017 CLEAN (planninginspectorate.gov.uk)

UK Parliament (2019). "The most important issue of our time," Opposition calls to declare climate emergency - UK Parliament. Accessed on: 01/10/2022

UK Government (2022). Major acceleration of homegrown power in Britain’s plan for greater energy independence - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Accessed 01/10/2022

van Deurs, M., Hartvig, M. and Steffensen, J.F (2011). Critical threshold size for overwintering sandeels (Ammodytes marinus). Mar Biol 158, 2755–2764 (2011). Available at: Critical threshold size for overwintering sandeels (Ammodytes marinus) | SpringerLink. Accessed on: 23 February 2022.

 

 

[1] Headroom is the difference between predicted levels of mortality based on worst case parameters used at the application stage and mortality rates based on ‘as built’ project designs (built v assessed or consented wind farm designs) (Trinder, 2017).

[2] Results from the NGESO Holistic Network Review were published in July 2022 (NGESO, 2022)