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Full planning permission for the construction and installation of onshore electrical infrastructure required to export electricity from the White Cross Offshore Wind Farm to the national distribution network; including installation of 132kV underground electricity transmission cable(s) from landfall at Saunton Sands Car park to a new substation at East Yelland. Construction of temporary facilities required during construction to include haul road, vehicular access, compounds, associated works areas and a permanent substation access road . Construction of a new substation under the Rochdale Envelope Approach with additional information regarding architectural form and silhouette, design code, scale and layout, landscaping, lighting, and appearance and materials.

Report by the Senior Planning Officer (attached).

The Chair introduced the members of the planning committee and the officers in attendance.

The Corporate and Community Admin Assistant read the following statement:

“Any observations which were made during the course of the site visit by Members of the Planning Committee were limited to those issues identified by the Planning Officer in consultation with the Chair of Planning Committee, and the Ward Member, or Members of the area where the application was located, as set out in Part 3, Annexe 2, of the North Devon District Constitution.

Such observations were made after viewing the site and on the basis of the limited information available. Any such observations were not, nor should they be, taken as an indication that the application was acceptable or not acceptable.

A full presentation and consideration of all the planning issues would be made when the matter was determined by the Planning Committee.”

The Senior Planning Policy Officer (AS) outlined the application.

The Committee:

·         Arrived at Saunton Sands Car Park and noted the location of the outlined offshore element of the application. It was noted that North Devon Council (NDC) was only responsible for the onshore element of the application as they were not the regulator for offshore applications.

·         Noted the proposed location for the cable.

·         Noted the power grid location relative to the car park.

·         Noted the proposed location for the offshore element of the application relative to the car park.

·         Noted the plans for the cable route.

·         Noted the “Rochdale Envelope” principle and it’s defined parameters as an accepted planning principle in relation to the application.

·         Noted the project was subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment.

·         Noted the location of the proposed initial construction compound. It was further noted that the construction compound will be moved around the car park depending on the phase of the project, and at no time would it exceed more than 25% of the total surface area of the car park.

·         Noted the location of the sand dune the cable will pass through from the beach into car park.

·         Noted the fanned location on the beach front was due to uncertainty as to where the cable of the offshore element of the application will land. Once the landing point had been identified, the fanned element of the layout plan would reduce to be in keeping with the rest of the cable width and length in the layout plan.

·         Noted the depth of the cable will be approximately 1.3m deep under the car park, and the total length of HDD drilling to the east of the car park would extend for approximately 1.3km in the direction of Saunton Golf Club to avoid any disturbance to the Braunton Burrows Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

·         Noted the proposed access points for the construction. It was further noted that these would be removed upon completion of the project.

·         Walked along the west side of the car park and observed the location of the cable landing relative to the car park.

·         Walked to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 132.