The Sheringham Shoal and Dudgeon Extensions Offshore Wind Farm Order 2024

Pre-construction plans and documentation

13.—(1) The licensed activities or any phase of those activities must not commence until the following (insofar as relevant to that activity or phase of activity) have been submitted to and approved in writing by the MMO, in consultation with Trinity House, the MCA and UKHO as appropriate—

(a) a plan prepared in accordance with the layout commitments setting out proposed details of the authorised project, including the—

(i) number, dimensions, specification, foundation type(s) and depth for each wind turbine generator, offshore platform and substation;

(ii) the grid coordinates of the centre point of the proposed location for each wind turbine generator, platform and substation;

(iii) proposed layout of all cables;

(iv) location and specification of all other aspects of the authorised project; and

(v) any exclusion zones or micro-siting requirements identified pursuant to 13(1)(e)(v) or relating to any benthic habitats of conservation, ecological or economic importance constituting Annex I reef habitats identified as part of surveys undertaken in accordance with condition 18

to ensure conformity with the description of Work No. 1A and 2A and compliance with conditions 1 to 3;

(b) a construction programme and monitoring plan (which accords with the offshore in principle monitoring plan) which, save in respect information submitted pursuant to sub- paragraph ‎(b)‎(iii)(aa), is to be submitted to the MMO at least six months prior to commencement of licensed activities and to include details of—

(i) the proposed construction start date;

(ii) proposed timings for mobilisation of plant delivery of materials and installation works;

(iii) proposed pre-construction surveys, baseline report format and content, construction monitoring, post-construction surveys and monitoring and related reporting in accordance with conditions 18, 19 and 20 to be submitted to the MMO in accordance with the following (unless otherwise agreed in writing with the MMO)—

(aa) at least four months prior to the first survey, detail of the pre-construction surveys and an outline of all proposed pre-construction monitoring;

(bb) at least four months prior to construction, detail on construction monitoring; and

(cc) at least four months prior to commissioning, detail of post-construction (and operational) monitoring;

(iv) an indicative written construction programme for all wind turbine generators and cables including fibre optic cables comprised in the works at Part 1 (licensed marine activities) of this Schedule (insofar as not shown in paragraph ‎(ii) above);

(c) a construction method statement in accordance with the construction methods assessed in the environmental statement, including details of—

(i) cable specification, installation and monitoring to include—

(aa) the technical specification of cables below MHWS;

(bb) a detailed cable laying plan for the authorised project, incorporating a burial risk assessment encompassing the identification of any cable protection that exceeds 5 percent of navigable depth referenced to Chart Datum and, in the event that any area of cable protection exceeding 5 percent of navigable depth is identified, details of any steps (to be determined following consultation with the MCA and Trinity House) to be taken to ensure existing and future safe navigation is not compromised or similar such assessment to ascertain suitable burial depths and cable laying techniques, including cable protection; and

(cc) proposals for monitoring cables including cable protection until the authorised project is decommissioned which includes a risk-based approach to the management of unburied or shallow buried cables;

(ii) scour protection and cable protection including details of the need, type, sources, quantity and installation methods for scour protection and cable protection, with details updated and resubmitted for approval if changes to it are proposed following cable laying operations;

(iii) foundation installation methodology, including drilling methods and disposal of drill arisings and material extracted during seabed preparation for foundation and cable installation works and having regard to any mitigation scheme pursuant to sub- paragraph ‎(1)‎(a)(i);

(iv) advisory safe passing distances for vessels around construction sites;

(v) contractors;

(vi) vessels and vessel transit corridors;

(vii) associated ancillary works; and

(viii) guard vessels to be employed;

(d) a project environmental management plan (in accordance with the outline project environmental management plan) covering the period of construction and operation to include details of—

(i) a marine pollution contingency plan to address the risks, methods and procedures to deal with any spills and collision incidents during construction and operation of the authorised project in relation to all activities carried out;

(ii) a chemical risk assessment, including information regarding how and when chemicals are to be used, stored and transported in accordance with recognised best practice guidance;

(iii) waste management and disposal arrangements;

(iv) the appointment and responsibilities of a fisheries liaison officer;

(v) a fisheries liaison and coexistence plan (which accords with the outline fisheries liaison and co-existence plan) to ensure relevant fishing fleets are notified of commencement of licensed activities pursuant to condition 4 and to address the interaction of the licensed activities with fishing activities; and

(vi) procedures, which must be adopted within vessel transit corridors to minimise disturbance to red-throated diver during the period 1 November to 31 March (inclusive), which must be in accordance with the best practice protocol for minimising disturbance to red throated diver;

(vii) a code of conduct for vessel operators to reduce risk of injury to mammals;

(e) an archaeological written scheme of investigation in relation to the offshore Order limits seaward of MHWS, which must accord with the outline written scheme of investigation (offshore) and industry good practice, in consultation with the statutory historic body to include—

(i) details of responsibilities of the undertaker, archaeological consultant and contractor;

(ii) a methodology for further site investigation including any specifications for geophysical, geotechnical and diver or remotely operated vehicle investigations;

(iii) archaeological analysis of survey data, and timetable for reporting, which is to be submitted to the MMO within four months of any survey being completed;

(iv) delivery of any mitigation including, where necessary, identification and modification of archaeological exclusion zones;

(v) monitoring of archaeological exclusion zones during and post construction;

(vi) a requirement for the undertaker to ensure that a copy of any agreed archaeological report is deposited with the Archaeological Data Service, by submitting an OASIS (‘Online Access to the Index of archaeological investigations’) form with a digital copy of the report within six months of completion of construction of the authorised scheme, and to notify the MMO and Historic England that the OASIS form has been submitted to the Archaeological Data Service within two weeks of submission;

(vii) a reporting and recording protocol, including reporting of any wreck or wreck material during construction, operation and decommissioning of the authorised scheme; and

(viii) a timetable for all further site investigations, which must allow sufficient opportunity to establish a full understanding of the historic environment within the offshore Order limits and the approval of any necessary mitigation required as a result of the further site investigations prior to commencement of licensed activities;

(f) an offshore operations and maintenance plan (in accordance with the outline offshore operations and maintenance plan), to be submitted to the MMO at least six months prior to commencement of operation of the licensed activities and to provide for review and resubmission every three years during the operational phase;

(g) an aids to navigation management plan to be agreed in writing by the MMO following consultation with Trinity House specifying how the undertaker will ensure compliance with condition 8 from the commencement of construction of the authorised project to the completion of decommissioning;

(h) in the event that driven or part-driven pile foundations are proposed to be used, a marine mammal mitigation protocol (in accordance with the draft marine mammal mitigation protocol), the intention of which is to prevent injury to marine mammals, following current best practice as advised by the relevant statutory nature conservation bodies, to be submitted to the MMO at least six months prior to commencement of licensed activities;

(i) a mitigation scheme for any benthic habitats of conservation, ecological and/or economic importance constituting Annex I reef habitats identified by the survey referred to in condition 18(4)(a) and in accordance with the offshore in principle monitoring plan;

(j) an ornithological monitoring plan setting out the circumstances in which ornithological monitoring will be required and the monitoring to be carried out in such circumstances to be submitted to the MMO at least six months prior to commencement of licensed activities; and

(k) a navigation management plan to manage crew transfer vessels (including daughter craft) during the construction and operation of the authorised project.

(2) Pre-commencement surveys and archaeological investigations and pre-commencement material operations which involve intrusive seabed works must only take place in accordance with a specific outline written scheme of investigation (which must accord with the details set out in the outline written scheme of investigation (offshore)) which has been submitted to and approved by the MMO.