E.ON has temporarily withdrawn the planning application for the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm, which it submitted on December 14.
The energy company sent a letter to the Planning Inspectorate on January 2, which is published on the Inspectorate’s website, expressing its wish to withdraw the application at this stage and the intention to resubmit it in the near future, after resolving issues related to Section 42 of the Planning Act 2008.
The Section 42 obliges the promoter to consult with interested parties about a proposed application, including authorities, agencies and people who are in possession of or with an interest in the land related to the project’s development.
The letter said: “Following E.ON’s submission of an application for a Development Consent Order in respect of the above project, it has emerged that there are certain omissions in respect of the Section 42 Consultation element of the application.
“Having reviewed the situation and taken advice on the materiality of these omissions, in conjunction with discussions the project team has had with yourself, E.ON has committed to fully address these points prior to the Secretary of State making his decision on whether to accept the application for examination.”
Before the submission of the application on December 14, E.ON revised the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm proposal based on the consultation feedback, reducing the wind farm area by almost a quarter of the area consulted upon and to around half that originally awarded by The Crown Estate in January 2010.
It also reduced the maximum number of proposed turbines by 20, meaning the project could feature between 100 and 175 turbines depending on the model selected.
The site could still accommodate an installed electrical capacity of up to 700MW, which E.ON estimates could generate enough electricity to supply the equivalent of around 450,000 homes.
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Offshore WIND Staff, January 8, 2013; Image: E.ON