The UK government, in a press release issued on 12 July, stated that Hornsea Four was the 126th Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project and 73rd energy application to have been examined by The Planning Inspectorate within the timescales laid down in the Planning Act 2008.
“The Planning Inspectorate has now examined more than 100 nationally significant infrastructure projects since the Planning Act 2008 process was introduced, ensuring local communities have had the opportunity of being involved in the examination of projects that may affect them”, said Paul Morrison, The Planning Inspectorate’s Chief Executive.
“The Examining Authority listened and gave full consideration to all local views and the evidence gathered during the Examination before making its recommendation to the Secretary of State”.
Ørsted submitted the application for the development consent order (DCO) for Hornsea Four to the Planning Inspectorate in September 2021. The Inspectorate began the examination in February 2022 and sent a Recommendation Report for the project to the Secretary of State in November last year, after which the decision deadline was set for February.
However, as there were a few more things that needed further input and resolving in the application, most notably the issue of the overlap area between Hornsea Four and the BP-led carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, the Secretary of State pushed back the deadline for deciding on whether to grant the DCO by five months, setting the final date to 12 July.
As reported in June, the back-and-forth between BP and Ørsted was put to rest after the two companies reached a commercial agreement on the overlap area.
