The RYA will examine navigational risk assessment for Navitus Bay Wind Park 

Application for consent to develop the wind park is being submitted today.

The RYA has been informed by Eneco Wind UK Ltd (Eneco) and EDF Energy Renewables that they are formally submitting their application for consent to develop the Navitus Bay Wind Park on the south coast to the Planning Inspectorate today, 10 April.  

The application will include full supporting documentation covering every aspect of the development - this includes navigational safety, recreational amenity, and environmental concerns and must contain evidence that the developer has consulted fully with the local community and has taken their views into account.  

The Planning Inspectorate now has 28 days to decide whether the application can proceed to examination. If accepted, the application and all the supporting documents will be published on the Planning Inspectorate’s website; the process then moves to pre-examination.  

Stuart Carruthers Cruising Manager “Naturally, if the application is accepted for examination,  the RYA will be registering with the Planning Inspectorate as an interested party in order to represent recreational boating interests.  

“The RYA raised a number of navigational issues with the developer during the consultation stage which were satisfactorily addressed.  

“Now that the full application has been completed we will want to understand how shipping and navigation will be affected and how the marine navigational safety risks have been assessed in the application documents”.  

Pre-examination stage

During the pre-examination stage, the applicant must publicise that the application has been accepted by the Planning Inspectorate and include details of when and how the public can register to get involved in the examination as interested parties.  

The time period for registration will be set by the applicant but will be no less than 28 days. Those who register can provide a summary of their views when they register.

Within the planning Inspectorate, a panel of inspectors will be appointed as the examining authority. 

A preliminary meeting will be held to discuss procedural issues and the examination timetable. Interested parties will be notified of the preliminary meeting date.

Once closed, all parties will be notified of the examination timetable. The close of the preliminary also marks the end of the pre-examination stage.    

Examination stage

The examination stage starts the day following the close of the preliminary meeting. The examination panel has six months to examine the application.  

This is normally done by written representations, however hearings can also be held to examine certain aspects of the application.

These are of an inquisitorial manner and each interested party is entitled to make oral representations about the application.  

Once the examination is complete the examination panel has three months to write its recommendation and submit it to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, who will make the final decision.