First Wind Farm Approved Under Planning Act Regime

Today's entry reports on the approval of the Kentish Flats wind farm extension.

Yesterday, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change approved the application for an extension to the existing Kentish Flats offshore wind farm off the northern Kent coast. The application was to extend it by 10 to 17 new turbines to the south and west of the existing wind farm, with a total maximum capacity of 51 megawatts. The existing wind farm has a capacity of 90 MW, and so the extended wind farm will have a capacity of more than 100 MW, which means it falls to be consented under the Planning Act 2008.  The decision letter can be found here.

It is worth checking out the salient features of this decision as it adds to the limited experience of what is acceptable to the government in granting consent.