Rampion Offshore Wind Farm proposal

Transcription

1 Rampion Offshore Wind Farm proposal Statement of Community Consultation (SOCC) Strategy In support of Section 47 of the Planning Act 2008 January 2012

2 Robin Rigg Offshore Wind Farm, Solway Firth. For illustrative purposes only. Rampion Offshore Wind Farm Proposal SOCC Strategy Contents Page 1. Introduction 2 2. Project overview 3 3. Key requirements of the Planning Act The Statement of Community Consultation (SOCC) 7 5. The scope of the consultation 10 6 Identification of communities 11 7 Consultation methods 13 - Consultation period - Information available - Response methods 8 Consultation responses 17 9 Appendices 18 Appendix A) Appendix B) Appendix C) The SOCC Notice Public viewing places Public exhibitions

3 1. INTRODUCTION E.ON Climate & Renewables (E.ON) has developed initial proposals for an offshore wind farm located around 13km from the Sussex coast at its nearest point. The Rampion Offshore Wind Farm (the project) could accommodate an installed electrical capacity of up to 700 megawatts (MW). The project is defined as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) as it is over 100MW, and therefore will be the subject of a Development Consent Order (DCO) application to the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) under the Planning Act 2008 (the Act). This SOCC strategy document outlines our approach to community consultation, describing how the local community within the vicinity of the proposed development has been identified and the methods that will be used to ensure that the consultation is accessible to that community. This document includes a high level description of the proposal to provide context, however further detailed information can be found in the Community Consultation Document (CCD) which has been produced in support of the community consultation. This strategy document should be read alongside the Statement of Community Consultation Notice (Appendix A) which was published in local newspapers before the consultation start date. We are committed to ensuring that the consultation is as inclusive and all-encompassing as possible, meeting the obligations of the Act and, most importantly, offering the community an opportunity to have their say on the proposals for the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm project. A previous version of this document was issued to local authorities as part of a consultation on the community consultation process for the project, and this version has been updated to reflect local authorities responses to that consultation. About E.ON E.ON Climate & Renewables is part of the E.ON Group. We are responsible for developing, constructing and operating all of the Group s renewable energy projects. In the UK, we are committed to developing onshore and offshore wind, biomass and marine technologies. We currently own and operate 18 onshore and 3 offshore wind farms. We are partners in the London Array Offshore Wind Farm with DONG Energy and Masdar: this project is currently under construction and will be the world s largest offshore wind farm when it is completed. We also have planning consent to build a 219MW offshore wind farm, Humber Gateway, off the east coast of Yorkshire. Page 2 of 18

4 2. PROJECT OVERVIEW This section provides an overview of the Rampion proposal. The Rampion Offshore Wind Farm site was identified following the Government s Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), which looked at the potential for a new round of large-scale offshore wind farms in UK waters. Nine zones were identified and The Crown Estate, who owns the seabed around the UK, launched a tender process known as Round 3. We were successful in being awarded exclusive development rights within what was initially known as Zone 6, off the Sussex coast. The initial SEA looked at a whole range of environmental and technical criteria establishing the area as suitable for wind farm development, including wind speed, water depth, distance from shore, environmental designations, aggregates extraction zones and major shipping lanes. The zone is located in the English Channel, off the Sussex coast and extends from approximately 13km to 26km offshore, occupying an irregular elongated area, approximately 28km in an east to west direction and approximately 10km in the north to south direction. The zone has an overall area of 271km 2. Subsequent refinements have resulted in defining a single offshore wind farm project known as Rampion, within the Zone. The Rampion site covers an area of 167km 2 and excludes areas with water depths beyond 50m due to engineering constraints. We have identified a single wind farm project within the boundary of Zone, 6, to be known as the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm (the project). The project has the potential to accommodate an installed electrical capacity of up to 700 megawatts (MW), which current estimates indicate could generate over 2,100 GWh 1 (gigawatt hours) of electricity. On this basis, E.ON estimate that over the course of a typical year the scheme could generate sufficient electricity to meet the domestic needs of the equivalent of around 450,000 UK households 2. That s over two-thirds of the households in the whole of Sussex 3, including the city of Brighton & Hove. The proposed project comprises a maximum of 195 offshore wind turbines including their foundations, two offshore substations, an array of subsea cables and four export cables. On land, associated works will consist of an underground onshore cable connecting the offshore elements to the National Grid at a proposed new substation located in the vicinity of the existing National Grid transmission substation, 2km south west of Bolney village in Mid Sussex. A map showing the location of the proposed Rampion Offshore Wind Farm and its associated development is shown in Figure 1. 1 Based on wind speed data from our existing offshore wind farms in UK waters. This will be updated as Rampion site specific data is gathered. 2 Based on an average annual domestic household electricity consumption of 4,700KWh (DECC). 3 Office of National Statistics census data Page 3 of 18

5 Figure 1 - Proposed Development Area of the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm Page 4 of 18

6 The solid line boundary defines the site location for the offshore wind turbines. However, a potential additional development area (marked by a dotted line) coincides with an area over which The Crown Estate has granted an aggregates extraction option which is valid until For the purposes of the current stage of consultation, and in order that all issues can be addressed, consultees should therefore assume that a consent application for the turbines within the area bound by the dotted line, may also be sought. Requirement for Environmental Impact Assessment We are undertaking an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm project, in accordance with the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations Early Preliminary Environmental Information (PEI) and the Scoping Report for the project provided information to local authorities during the consultation on the draft SOCC strategy. The Community Consultation Document which supports the community consultation provides further Preliminary Environmental Information, including potential impacts and benefits to the community from the project. Potential impacts and benefits of the project: It is anticipated that potential impacts and benefits of the project may include: temporary impacts offshore during construction and decommissioning, including disturbance to other sea users and the seabed, noise and visual impacts; offshore impacts during the operation of the wind farm, including exclusion of certain activities within the wind farm, visual impacts and effects on marine birds; temporary disturbance onshore during construction to users of the beach at the landfall, to traffic and Public Rights of Way along the cable route; and generally noise and visual impacts; onshore impacts during operation, including visual impact of the substation and to chalk grassland on certain sections of the cable route; benefits, including the creation of jobs during construction and operation, contribution to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and securing energy supplies. 3. KEY REQUIREMENTS OF THE PLANNING ACT 2008 This section provides an overview of the legislative framework within which the proposed Rampion Offshore Wind Farm is being developed. The Planning Act 2008 (the Act) provides the consenting regime for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). The purpose of the Act is to provide a coherent and joined up approach for considering consenting of complex major infrastructure projects such as offshore wind farms. This regime created the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), which has responsibility for considering new proposals. Page 5 of 18

7 The Rampion Offshore Wind Farm project is classed as an NSIP because its electrical capacity would be greater than 100MW. We will therefore make an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to the IPC. The application for a DCO will be made for both offshore and onshore works under one submission to the IPC. The regime for authorising NSIPs is to be amended by the recently enacted Localism Act 2011, most notably to abolish the IPC. The IPC's examination and recommendation functions will be taken over by a new part of the Planning Inspectorate (to be named the National Infrastructure Directorate) and its decision-making function will be taken over by the government (in the case of offshore wind farms, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change). Under the revised provisions, the IPC will examine the application and recommend to the Secretary of State if it should be approved. The IPC will also consider the project in light of the National Policy Statements (NPSs) for Energy, adopted in July Of particular relevance are the Overarching Policy EN-1, Renewable Energy Infrastructure Policy EN-3, and Electricity Networks Infrastructure Policy EN-5. If the project is approved by the Secretary of State, a DCO will be made and we will be in a position to proceed with the project (subject to any conditions within the DCO). Despite the above changes to the governance of the Act, the requirements of the preapplication process will remain largely unchanged. The Act imposes a duty on the developers of NSIPs to consult those who would be directly affected proposed development, people living in the vicinity of the land proposed for development, the general public, local authorities, landowners and a range of other statutory consultees before submitting an application to the IPC for a DCO. The main statutory provisions are as follows: Sections of the Act require the applicant to consult a wide range of statutory consultees, landowners, occupiers, tenants, lessees, local authorities in which development is proposed and adjoining local authorities. At least 28 days must be allowed for this consultation; Section 46 requires the promoter to provide all consultation material to the IPC, prior to commencing consultation under Section 42; Section 47 sets out the duty on the applicant to consult the local community including requirements to: draw up a statement on how the consultation with the community will be undertaken (the SOCC); consult local authorities where development is proposed for a minimum of 28 days about the SOCC before it is published; have regard to the responses from the local authorities; publish the SOCC in a newspaper circulating in the vicinity of the land; and then carry out the consultation as laid out in the SOCC; Section 48 requires the applicant to publicise the proposed application and set a deadline for receipt of responses; Page 6 of 18

8 Section 49 requires the applicant to have regard to relevant responses to all consultation and publicity undertaken. It is important to note that the local planning authorities are not responsible for making decisions on any NSIP. It is the IPC who examine applications for development consent and who will make a recommendation to the relevant Secretary of State. The IPC will consider all the evidence and weigh potential adverse impacts of a project proposal against the benefits, in making a decision or a recommendation to the Secretary of State. We are required to prepare a Consultation Report to summarise the findings of all of the strands of consultation and demonstrate how the public's opinions and ideas have influenced the development of the project. The Consultation Report is a key application document and the view of the local authorities on the adequacy of the consultation undertaken will be requested by the IPC. The IPC has the right to refuse to accept an application if it believes that pre-application consultation has not been conducted properly by the developer. Further details of the consenting process for NSIPs is available from the IPC s website: 4. THE STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY CONSULTATION A Statement of Community Consultation (SOCC) must be prepared as part of the preapplication process to meet the requirements of Section 47 of the Act. The SOCC aims to provide details of how the local community will be consulted, demonstrating the strategy that will be used and the consultation techniques proposed. Timescales will also be provided for the different stages of consultation, plus the proposed periods for community review and feedback. Agreeing the SOCC Prior to publication of the SOCC, the developer is required, under Section 47(2) of the Act, to seek the views of the relevant local authorities on the content of the SOCC and the robustness of the consultation approach. Under Section 47 of the Act, local authorities have 28 days to formally respond to the developer. In compliance with Section 47(2), we supplied a draft SOCC strategy to the local authorities and followed up with face to face consultations. Meetings took place between the developer and local authorities in July and August 2011 where knowledge was shared and experiences exchanged. The local authorities were given 42 days to respond to the consultation on the SOCC in writing. The responses included the provision of advice about community stakeholders and consultees, and alternative or proven consultation methods to ensure a fully engaging and meaningful community consultation. Page 7 of 18

9 In accordance with the DCLG guidance on the pre-application process 2, we also sought guidance from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) regarding the consultation process. The following local authorities were consulted on the draft SOCC and the strategy: Adur and Worthing Council Brighton & Hove City Council Horsham District Council Lewes District Council Mid Sussex District Council East Sussex County Council West Sussex County Council South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) Marine Management Organisation (MMO) The following local authorties were also provided with copies of the draft SOCC and strategy: Arun District Council Chichester District Council Eastbourne Borough Council Wealden District Council Figure 2 shows the local authorities that we identified as having the potential to be directly and indirectly impacted by the project and its associated development. 2 DCLG Guidance on pre-application Consultation, Sept 2009 Page 8 of 18

10 Figure 2 Local Authorities Location Map 1. Adur District Council 2. Arun District Council 3. Brighton & Hove City Council 4. Chichester District Council 5. West Sussex County Council 6. Eastbourne Borough Council 7. Mid Sussex District Council 8. Lewes District Council 9. Horsham District Council 10. Wealden District Council 11. East Sussex County Council 12. Worthing Borough Council We have reviewed the Statements of Community Involvement (SCI) for each of the local authorities and we are keen to ensure that the principles outlined in the consultation strategy align with the work already undertaken by local authorities in identifying communities and organisations. Page 9 of 18

11 Publishing the SOCC We will publish the SOCC in accordance with statutory requirements by advertising in newspapers in the vicinity of the project, on the Rampion project webpages and local authorities websites. These adverts will be published week commencing Monday 6 February THE SCOPE OF THE CONSULTATION The proposed Rampion Offshore Wind Farm is a large and complex project, and has a number of onshore and offshore elements. We understand that individual elements of the project will have interest to, and potentially impact on, different communities. Therefore we have tailored the consultation to better suit the expectations and requirements of each of these communities. Section 2 of this document briefly outlines the key components of the proposed project. It should be noted that there are some elements of the project which are fixed, for example as a result of The Crown Estate tendering process or supply and/or design of technology. Examples of the elements of the project which are fixed include, the general design of the wind turbine (i.e. three-blades), and the location of the red line zone boundary. We provide details of those fixed elements in the Community Consultation Document. Furthermore, there are aspects of the project proposal which may have been agreed as a result of early engagement with landowners and statutory consultees. These aspects include the routing of the onshore cable, and the area of search of the location of the substation and general layout principles for the turbines and their foundations. The Community Consultation Document sets out the design principles for both the onshore and offshore elements of these proposals, and invites responses on these principles. The Community Consultation Document provides details of the likely impacts and benefits that could arise from the proposals, in order for the community to have their opportunity to assess the proposal and aspects which are of particular interest or concern to them. We are consulting specifically on issues surrounding construction methodology and timings for both onshore and offshore elements and the potential methods for mitigation which may reduce or avoid impacts from arising. In order that we can demonstrate to the IPC that the consultation has been meaningful, the broadest community must have the opportunity to have their say. It is key that our consultation has as wide a reach as possible and that communities can influence the proposals. We aim to ensure that the views of the community are reflected in the final application. This means that the communities must understand the wider context of the proposals, before being asked for their views on specific issues. Page 10 of 18

12 6. IDENTIFICATION OF COMMUNITIES For the purposes of the community consultation, community is taken to mean those people who live or work in the vicinity of the project, and users or visitors to the area, both onshore and offshore, who may be directly or indirectly affected by the project. To make community consultation effective, it is important that we understand the communities in the vicinity of the proposal and their broad aims, objectives, influences and concerns, to be able to effectively engage with them and ensure that the consultation methods are accessible to them. We began the process of stakeholder identification by mapping the local communities, political landscape, key stakeholders and local interest groups that may be affected by the project. In spring 2010, we commissioned a national Public Relations (PR) company with specific experience of wind farm development to assist in the development of a Stakeholder Management Strategy for the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm. This involved identifying the stakeholder groups and organisations in the region, and the tools and mechanisms that should be employed to engage with communities across a range of interests, including any hard to-reach-groups. The Stakeholder Management Strategy formed the basis for the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm Communications Plan, which timetables a range of tools and activities tailored to different stakeholder groups. The Communications Plan is being continually reviewed and updated to ensure that engagement and consultation activities are effective and meet the objectives as set out in the Stakeholder Management Strategy. Once the extensive list of stakeholders and community groups was compiled, we appointed a local PR consultant, based in Sussex, so that we could benefit from their local knowledge and experience to review the list and help categorise the stakeholders in terms of their interest and their relationship with groups with a similar interest. Early informal engagement In April 2010, we appointed a Development Manager who is based in our Brighton Office, which we opened in September 2010 specifically for the Rampion project. The role of the Development Manager is to provide a local contact point for the project and to lead stakeholder engagement and communications within the community. The Development Manager has spoken at numerous public meetings and to various stakeholders around the development area over the past 18 months. We have sought to engage with the community and seek their input from the earliest opportunity. Shortly after being awarded Zone 6, an initiative was launched with local schools to find a suitable name for the project. In May 2010, schools throughout the local area were invited to submit their ideas for a name for the wind farm. From all the Page 11 of 18

13 submissions received, a shortlist of options were selected and following an online vote, the public chose Rampion (the county flower of Sussex) as the final name, put forward by pupils from Davison High School in Worthing. Considerable press coverage both preceded and followed the vote, building local interest in the project. We have engaged with relevant statutory consultees on a national and regional level, local authorities, local non-government organisations (NGOs), local interest groups and associations to understand local issues and concerns regarding the project. County councils and local authorities have a key role as advisors with local knowledge and experience, coupled with their ability to provide a conduit to stakeholder organisations and the wider community within their area. Following these discussions, over 2,000 stakeholder organisations throughout the region have been contacted periodically to introduce our proposals for the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm and update them on upcoming events and activities. We have established six project liaison groups (PLGs) which supplement the commitment to the community and to encourage a two-way information dissemination process with a focus on six key areas of interest: Project liaison groups (PLG) Inaugural meeting Business & Tourism November 2011 Commercial Fishing November 2011 Community (including hard to reach groups) November 2011 Environment, Conservation and Sustainability November 2011 Sea Users November 2011 County Councils and Local Authorities (officials) November 2010 (prior to formal PLG status) The PLGs will meet around five times over the next two years, including one meeting being held during the community consultation period. The PLGs are made up of representatives of key stakeholder groups, who have been identified as being well networked within the wider community of their interest group. PLG representatives are encouraged to take away information from the meetings and disseminate it to the wider community, whilst feeding back to the main group in a similar way. The PLGs are also useful conduits to identifying hard-to-reach groups, and it is proposed that their experience and networks will be used to ensure that these groups are involved in the consultation process. Page 12 of 18

14 7. CONSULTATION METHODS Due to the size and nature of the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm and its associated development, the project has the potential to impact upon a diverse community, reaching over a large geographical area which covers a number of local authority areas. To meet the requirements of the Act, we developed a comprehensive and robust approach to stakeholder engagement and consultation, and understand that different communities may have different concerns or interests, and may be impacted in different ways. This SOCC strategy forms one part of the wider Stakeholder Management Strategy. This section sets out our approach for undertaking the formal consultation with the community. Formal Community Consultation The aim of the community consultation process is to allow all sections of the community to register their interest and have their say in development of the proposals. In order to ensure that the widest possible audience is reached, a range of consultation methods to encourage and engage community participation must be adopted. The objectives of the community consultation are: to provide an opportunity for the local community to review our proposals, understand the project and what it will mean to them; to enable the community to put forward any views and ideas they have which may influence certain elements of our proposals; to help the community understand any impacts our proposals may have on them, and help shape any potential mitigation measures we could use to lessen these impacts; to encourage communities to actively participate and engage with us. Although we re legally required to consult with the community, we also understand that our relationship with the community is vital in developing a successful project. As with all our other projects around the UK, we re keen to build strong relationships with the community and be good neighbours throughout the lifetime of the project. Consultation period The community consultation on the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm proposal will commence on Monday 13 February and end on Sunday 6 May The consultation period is 12 weeks, as recommended by local authorities who were consulted with on the draft SOCC strategy. This period will ensure that communities have adequate opportunity and time to read all the consultation documents, attend one of the public exhibitions and respond to the consultation. Page 13 of 18

15 Consultation documents The complete list of documents that supports the community consultation is as follows: Community Consultation Document Statement of Community Consultation (SOCC) SOCC Strategy Document Consultation Questionnaire This includes a description of the project elements, and the Preliminary Environmental Information which identifies the potential impacts to the community, and details of how the community can respond to the consultation This is a statement confirming details of the consultation, which we are legally required to publish in local newspapers under the Planning Act 2008, including details of public exhibitions, consultation materials and how the community can participate and respond to the consultation This document, which provides an explanation of how the consultation process has been designed, following input and discussion with local authorities around the coast and along the cable route. The questionnaire invites responses from the public, to comment on and help shape particular aspects of the proposals. The consultation documents will be available from the start of the consultation period as follows: On the project webpages eon-uk.com/rampion In public buildings consultation documents will be deposited in libraries and council buildings. Please see full details of these 37 locations in Appendix B; At public exhibitions a series of 12 public exhibitions will allow the local community to view the proposals and speak with representatives from the project team. Details of the public exhibitions are listed in Appendix C. Page 14 of 18

16 Public viewing locations Having regard to the SOCC consultation with local authorities we were able to produce a comprehensive list of 37 public buildings, including mobile libraries, suitable for viewing or collecting consultation documents. The list (Appendix B) consists of local libraries, mobile libraries and various council offices situated within close proximity of the project proposals and the locations of our public exhibitions. Community Consultation documents can be viewed or collected at any of the various public buildings, during the community consultation period from Monday 13 February until Sunday 6 May Public exhibitions A series of 12 public exhibitions will allow the local community to view the proposals and speak with representatives from the project team. Details of the public exhibitions are provided in Appendix D. Our general principles for the public exhibitions include the provision of: flexible opening and closing hours during the week and at weekends if required; venues that are easily accessible by public transport; car parking facilities at the venue or close by; access for wheelchair users and people with infants and young children; WC facilities; clear and informative visual displays; Promoting advertising and publicising the community consultation We have identified a number of ways to publicise and promote the consultation to the local community: The Statement of Community Consultation (SOCC) notice is being placed in the following publications week commencing the 6 th February The Argus Latest7 Mid Sussex Times Sussex Express West Sussex Gazette Fishing News Page 15 of 18

17 A leaflet is being distributed to 390,000 homes in Sussex; Written communications we will be promoting the consultation through our Project Newsletter, and the distribution of information by to stakeholder organisations and those individuals who have registered to receive further communications; Media briefings and press notices we are talking and writing to the local media with the aim of promoting the community consultation through press and media channels; Newspaper advertising we are advertising the public exhibitions in 15 local and regional newspapers and on the regional commercial radio station; Online advertising - we are working with Councils to link the Rampion project from their websites to our project webpages. Additional advertising - placing posters and distributing leaflets at various outlets in the region which are frequented by the local community; Project liaison group meetings we have set up six project liaison groups consisting of representatives from key stakeholder organisations across different interest areas. These groups will be encouraged to maximise the scope and reach of communications regarding the project to the wider community; Social media - we have set up a Facebook Page to notify Facebook users of the community consultation. Responding to the community consultation The following methods can be used to contact us and / or respond to the consultation during the 12 week consultation period: Attend any of the 12 public exhibitions where project plans and images will be available to view, project team members will be available for discussion and consultation questionnaires available to complete ; Complete the consultation questionnaire online at eon-uk.com/rampion Collect the consultation questionnaire at one of the 37 public viewing locations and post it to FREEPOST, RAMPION OFFSHORE WIND FARM (no stamp required) rampion@eon.com Write to us at: FREEPOST RAMPION OFFSHORE WIND FARM Call: (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday). Page 16 of 18

18 8. CONSULTATION RESPONSES We will consider and evaluate all the responses received during the community consultation and incorporate relevant responses into the final project design, where this is appropriate and feasible. Take account of any extra impacts or mitigations resulting from the consultation process in the EIA, which we ll use to produce our final Environmental Statement. We will analyse comments ourselves or instruct third parties to do this on our behalf. In due course, copies might be made available to statutory authorities so comments can be noted. However, we will ask for your personal details not to be placed on the public record. Your personal details will be held securely by us or by third parties instructed to do this on our behalf, in line with the Data Protection Act Your details will only be used in connection with the Rampion consultation process and, except as noted above, will not be passed to any third parties. For more information on how your personal details will be used, visit the IPC s website. The final project design will then be incorporated in the application submitted to the IPC, in the form of the draft Development Consent Order and the associated Environmental Statement (ES). A Consultation Report will also be submitted as part of the application documentation. Consultation Report The Consultation Report will outline the consultation and engagement that has taken place during the pre-application stages of the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm development, and illustrate how feedback obtained during the process has informed the final design of the proposal. Where changes have or have not been made, the rationale for this will be given. The Consultation Report will summarise the comments and views received during consultation. While there is no requirement to include raw data such as individual letters, feedback forms and meeting notes, this information can be requested by the IPC to check the validity of the Consultation Report and will therefore be retained whilst the examination of the application is in progress. We will use a Stakeholder Relationship Management (SRM) system to record all communications with stakeholders, including the activities undertaken, stakeholder details and the feedback obtained. This is a critical component of the consultation strategy and we will ensure that all information is captured in a structured format that is easily accessible and comprehensive. The data content from the community consultation will be analysed to provide input into the Consultation Report. Page 17 of 18

19 Data Protection All of the responses received during the consultation period will be taken into consideration, and all of the responses will be recorded for the purpose of preparing the Consultation Report. In order that we can formally record your comments, some personal details will be required. These will be used solely in connection with this consultation process, and any directly associated planning applications, to help us in understanding how individual communities view our proposals. Your comments will only be analysed by E.ON Climate & Renewables, or by third parties instructed to do so on our behalf. Copies might be made available, in due course, to statutory authorities so your comments can be noted. We will, however, request that your personal details are not placed on the public record. Personal details will be held securely in accordance with the Data Protection Act Post application Once the application is lodged with the IPC, all interested parties will have a further opportunity to comment on the proposals by notifying the IPC of their interest. More details regarding the IPC process are available from the IPC itself (website: or telephone: ). 9. APPENDICES Appendix A) Appendix B) Appendix C) The SOCC Notice Public viewing places Public exhibition details Page 18 of 18

20 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY CONSULTATION (SOCC) (Published under Section 47(6) of the Planning Act 2008) Rampion Offshore Wind Farm proposal E.ON Climate & Renewables UK Rampion Offshore Wind Ltd (E.ON) is publishing this Statement of Community Consultation (SOCC) for the proposed Rampion Offshore Wind Farm and its associated infrastructure (the project). The Statement explains how we ll consult on the project with the local community, residents, businesses, organisations and visitors to the area. The community consultation will run for a period of 12 weeks, from Monday 13 February until Sunday 6 May. The project has the potential to accommodate an installed electrical capacity of up to 700 megawatts (MW), generating sufficient electricity to meet the domestic needs of the equivalent of around 450,000 UK households each year (based on an average annual domestic household electricity consumption of 4,700KWh* (DECC) and wind speed data from our existing offshore wind farms in UK waters). That s over two thirds of the households in the whole of Sussex (based on ONS census data), including the city of Brighton and Hove. The project comprises a maximum of 195 wind turbines and their foundations, two offshore substations, array cables buried in the seabed to link the turbines to the substations, and four export cables to transmit the electricity generated by the turbines to the shore at the landfall. On land, associated works comprise an underground cable connecting to the National Grid at a new substation that will be located in the vicinity of an existing substation, around 2km south-west of Bolney village, Mid Sussex. *This will be updated as Rampion site specific data is gathered. Infrastructure Planning Commission consenting process We will apply to the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) for a Development Consent Order (DCO) under the requirements of the Planning Act 2008 (the Act). The IPC currently decides on applications for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), including large offshore wind farms such as the Rampion project, within the framework of the relevant National Policy Statements (NPS), although the regime for authorising NSIPs is to be amended by the recently enacted Localism Act Under the revised provisions, the IPC (or its successor) will examine the application and recommend to the Secretary of State if it should be approved. The applicable Energy NPS s for this project, which also deal with the need for the project, will be the Overarching Energy NPS (EN-1), the Renewable Energy Infrastructure NPS (EN-3) and the Electricity Networks Infrastructure NPS (EN-5), which were adopted in July Under Section 47 of the Act, we are required to consult local communities so you can have your say and help to shape proposals which will affect your area. We are also required to submit a Consultation Report with the DCO application, detailing how we have taken into account the responses we have received to this and related consultations, and how the consultation requirements of the Act have been complied with. Once the application is lodged with the IPC, all interested parties will have a further opportunity to comment on the proposals by contacting the IPC directly. More details regarding the IPC process are available from the IPC itself at infrastructure.independent.gov.uk or telephone Proposed development area of the project Environmental information The project requires an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to be undertaken and this will be documented within the Environmental Statement (ES) which will accompany our application to the IPC. The EIA process ensures that the potential significant environmental effects of the project are identified, assessed and managed. Preliminary Environmental Information (PEI) is included in the Community Consultation Document which supports the consultation, including a review of the likely potential impacts and benefits of the project.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database rights British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited. All rights reserved. Products Licence No This product has been derived in part from material obtained from the UK Hydrographic Office with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office and UK Hydrographic Office ( NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION. Map not to scale and for illustrative purposes only. B1 For Client Review KA SK BF BF B For Client Review KA SK BF BF The solid line boundary defines the site location for the offshore wind A Inter turbines. Discipline Review However, KA SK BF BF REV DESCRIPTION BY DATE CHK'D REV'W AUTH File Reference: a Contains potential Ordnance Survey data additional Crown copyright and database development rights area (marked by a dotted line) coincides with an British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited. All rights reserved. Products Licence No LY-MP-003-RevB1 This product has been derived in part from material obtained from the UK Hydrographic Office with the permission of Project No: Discipline: Type: Number: Status/Rev: the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office and UK Hydrographic Office ( area NOT TO BE over USED FOR which NAVIGATION. The Crown Estate has granted an aggregates extraction option LY which MP 003 is B1 valid until For the purposes of the current stage of consultation, and in order that all issues can be addressed, consultees should therefore assume that a consent application for turbines within the area bound by the dotted line, may also be sought. Key Key Onshore Cable Route Proposed Development Area Cable Route Area Potential Additional Development Area Onshore Substation Area of Search Onshore Cable Route Proposed Development Area Cable Route Area Potential Additional Development Area Onshore Substation Area of Search B1 For Client Review B For Client Review A Inter Discipline Review REV Project No: DESCRIPTION Discipline: BY DATE CHK'D REV'W AUTH Type: Number: Status/Rev: LY MP 003 B1 KA KA KA SK SK SK File Reference: LY-MP-003-RevB1 BF BF BF BF BF BF Potential impacts and benefits of the project It is anticipated that potential impacts and benefits of the project may include: temporary impacts offshore during construction and decommissioning, including disturbance to other sea users and the seabed, noise and visual impacts offshore impacts during the operation of the wind farm, including exclusion of certain activities within the wind farm, visual impacts and effects on marine birds temporary disturbance onshore during construction to users of the beach at the landfall, to traffic and Public Rights of Way along the cable route; and generally noise and visual impacts onshore impacts during operation, including visual impact of the substation and to chalk grassland on certain sections of the cable route benefits, including the creation of jobs during construction and operation, contribution to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and securing energy supplies. The community consultation process What will we consult on? We will provide a Community Consultation Document, setting out the details of the project including Preliminary Environmental Information, on which we are seeking your views. A consultation questionnaire will accompany the Community Consultation Document and this will invite the public to comment on a range of onshore and offshore issues and help shape particular elements of the project. The community consultation documents can also be downloaded from the Rampion webpages at eon-uk.com/rampion or call to receive a paper or CD copy. Who will we consult with? For the purposes of this consultation community is taken to mean those people who live or work in the vicinity of the project, and users or visitors to the area, both onshore and offshore, who may be directly or indirectly affected by the project. However, all consultation responses will be taken into account, whether from people living in the immediate vicinity of the site or from those living outside the area. Our SOCC Strategy document provides further background on the consultation catchment and consultation methods, and is available to download from our project webpages.

21 February 2012 How can I find out more about the community consultation? Visit the project webpages eon-uk.com/rampion In public buildings consultation documents will be deposited in libraries and Council buildings around the region. Please see details of these locations at the end of this notice. At public exhibitions a series of 12 public exhibitions will allow the local community to view the proposals and talk with representatives from the project team. Details of the public exhibitions are listed below and will be advertised in local newspapers, on the Rampion webpages, on the Rampion Facebook page, and in a leaflet distributed to 390,000 homes in Sussex. Written communications we ll be promoting the consultation through a project newsletter and the distribution of information by to stakeholder organisations and those individuals who have registered to receive further communications. Project Liaison Group meetings we ve set up six project liaison groups consisting of representatives from key stakeholder organisations across different interest areas. These groups will be encouraged to maximise the scope and reach of communications regarding the project to those sharing the same interest. How can I respond to the consultation? You can use one of the following methods to contact us and/or respond to the consultation: Attend one of the 12 public exhibitions where you ll be able to view the project plans and images, speak to the project team and complete a consultation questionnaire. Complete the consultation questionnaire online at eon-uk.com/rampion Collect a questionnaire at one of the public viewing locations and post it to: FREEPOST RAMPION OFFSHORE WIND FARM (no stamp required). rampion@eon.com Write to us at: FREEPOST RAMPION OFFSHORE WIND FARM (no stamp required). Call (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday). Details of the public exhibitions Brighton Saturday 18 February, 10am - 6pm Brighton Unitarian Church and Hall, New Road BN1 1UF Worthing Saturday 25 February, 10am - 6pm St Pauls (diagonally opposite library), Main Hall, Chapel Road BN11 1EE Newhaven Monday 27 February, 12pm - 8pm Hillcrest Community Centre, Main Hall, Hillcrest Road BN9 9EA Steyning Wednesday 29 February, 12pm - 8pm The Steyning Centre, Coombe Court, Fletcher s Croft, off Vicarage Lane BN44 3XZ Shoreham-by-Sea Monday 5 March, 12pm - 8pm Holmbush Shopping Centre, Main Atrium, Upper Shoreham Road BN43 6TD Hove Saturday 10 March, 10am - 6pm St Andrew Old Church Hall, Church Road (in between George Street and Tesco) BN3 2AD Seaford Monday 12 March, 12pm - 8pm The Clinton Centre, Clinton Hall, Clinton Place BN25 1NP Albourne Saturday 17 March, 10am - 6pm Albourne Village Hall, Main Hall, The Street, Hassocks BN6 9DJ Peacehaven Wednesday 21 March, 12pm - 8pm Community House, The Anzac Room, Meridian Centre BN10 8BB Henfield Tuesday 27 March, 11am - 6:30pm Henfield Village Hall, Main Hall, Coopers Way, off High Street BN5 9DB (rear of Budgens) Lancing Thursday 29 March, 12pm - 8pm Lancing Parish Hall, Jubilee Hall, South Street BN15 8AJ Littlehampton Wednesday 4 April, 12pm - 8pm Manor House (council building), New Millennium Chamber, Church Street BN17 5EW Details of the public viewing places Consultation documents can be viewed or collected from the following public locations during the consultation period from Monday 13 February until Sunday 6 May 2012: Adur District Adur District Council Office Civic Centre, Ham Road, Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 6PR Lancing Library Penstone Park, Lancing BN15 9DL Mobile Library Tel: Shoreham Library St Mary s Road, Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 5ZA Southwick Library Southdown Road, Southwick BN42 4FT Steyning Library Church Street, Steyning BN44 3YB Worthing Borough Mobile Library Tel: Town Hall Chapel Road, Worthing BN11 1HA Worthing Borough Council Portland House, Richmond Road, Worthing BN11 1LF Worthing Central Library Richmond Road, Worthing BN11 1HD Brighton and Hove City Council Offices Bartholomew House, Bartholomew Square, Brighton BN1 1JA Hove Library Church Street, Hove BN3 2EG Hove Town Hall Norton Road, Hove BN3 4AH Jubilee Library Jubilee Street, Brighton BN1 1GE Mobile Library Tel: Rottingdean Library The Grange, Rottingdean, Brighton BN2 7HA Horsham District Billinghurst Library Mill Lane, Billinghurst RH14 9JZ Henfield Library Off High Street, Henfield BN5 9HN Horsham Library Lower Tanbridge Way, Horsham RH12 1PJ Mobile Library Tel: Planning and Town Hall Park House, North Street, Horsham RH12 1RL Lewes District Council Offices Southover House, Southover Road, Lewes BN7 1AB Lewes Library Styles Field, Friars Walk, Lewes BN7 2LZ Mid Sussex District Haywards Heath Library 34 Boltro Road, Haywards Heath RH16 1BN Planning Reception Oaklands Road, Hayward Heath RH16 1SS East Sussex County Council Offices St Anne s Crescent, Lewes BN7 1EU Mobile Library Tel: Newhaven Library 16 High Street, Newhaven BN9 9PD Peacehaven Library Meridian Centre, Peacehaven BN10 8BB Ringmer Library Cecil Gates Room, Village Hall, Lewes BN8 5QH Seaford Library (from 20 February) Elm Court, Blatchington Road, Seaford BN25 2AD West Sussex County Council Offices West Street, Chichester PO19 1RQ Ferring Library The Street, Ferring BN12 5HL Hassocks Library Stafford House, Keymer Road, Hassocks BN6 8QJ Hurstpierpoint Library Trinity Road, Hurstpierpoint, Hassocks BN6 9UY Littlehampton Library Maltravers Road, Littlehampton BN17 5NA Mobile Library Tel: Other expected IPC consultations No other IPC projects in close proximity of the project are expected to be consulted on during the consultation period for the Rampion proposal. In the wider area, Eneco is holding a number of public exhibitions during February and March 2012 for their proposed Navitus Bay Offshore Wind Farm to the west of the Isle of Wight. IMPORTANT: This Statement confirms that the consultation begins on 13 February and ends on 6 May In order to be considered, your responses must be submitted on or before 6 May E.ON Climate & Renewables UK Rampion Offshore Wind Ltd Registered Office: Westwood Way, Westwood Business Park, Coventry CV4 8LG Registered in England and Wales No