Minutes: E.ON Business and Tourism Project Liaison Group (PLG), Thursday 18Th April, 2013

Minutes: E.ON Business and Tourism Project Liaison Group (PLG), Thursday 18th April, 2013, 4-5.30pm

Chair – Paula Seager, Natural PR

Secretary – Katherine Elton, Natural PR

Chris Tomlinson – Rampion Development Manager, E.ON

Vaughan Weighill – Rampion Project Manager, E.ON

Bryan Van Namen – Litefoot LED representing Brighton Chamber of Commerce

Trevor Freeman – FreemanBreckon Accountants on behalf of the East Sussex Federation of Small Businesses

Tina Tilley – Adur & Worthing Chamber of Commerce

Tony Mernagh – Executive Director Brighton & Hove Economic Partnership

1. Update on final proposals, key changes and the environmental statement

Paula Seager gave an overview of the meeting agenda. Chris Tomlinson opened the presentation reminding attendees that they had until May 11 2013 to register their interest with the Planning Inspectorate at He then gave an illustrated presentation updating attendees on key aspects of the project consultation feedback, changes to the final proposals, the consent process going forward and projected timescales.

Tony Freeman commented that a reduction in wave height might actually be beneficial for some Sussex beaches. Chris Tomlinson added that the wave height had been reduced due to the reduction in the maximum number of gravity-based foundations. The draft environmental impact assessment was modelled original consultation was on 195 gravity-based foundations which was todecreased to 80 following further engineering work, reducing the impact on wave height from a worst case of 22 per cent to just 3 per cent. Surfers Against Sewage had concluded that the amendment was a win win for surfing and renewable energy.

Tony Freeman added that the wind farm could become a tourist destination in its own right. Tina Tilley added that there was also the opportunity to visit the turbines by boat.

Tony Freeman asked if the turbines might cause problems for shipping and was concerned ships might encounter difficulties in getting into port if weather conditions were bad. Vaughan Weighill confirmed the project team was consulting with Shoreham Port on the matter. He said there was an in-shore shipping route but added that some ships would automaticallycurrently tended not to use it. He said there were still unresolved issues regarding shipping and Shoreham Port, for example the export cable route barrier and Shoreham Port’s anchorage zone, but the team were working together with the Port to resolve these.

Vaughan added that the project team had already consulted with Shoreham Port's Harbour Master regarding poor weather conditions and was also consulting with the Marine Management Organisation, Maritime Consultation and the Maritime and Coastguard Agencyand Trinity House over the preferred in-shore shipping route.

The matter would be discussed through the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) examination process and Vaughan explained there were a number of considerations which would require discussion with expert stakeholders. Statements of Common Ground would have to be produced before proceeding with the planning process with the goal of achieving a workable, safe alternative.

Chris Tomlinson said that Shoreham Port had emphasised the importance of communicating the existence of the wind farm with sea users and that E.ON would ensure shipping operators were aware of the project and that the wind farm would be identified on the relevant shipping charts.

Vaughan explained more about the bespoke construction onshore 'slicing' technique used to accelerate restoration of the chalk grasslands preserve the topsoil in sensitive areas such as Tottington Mount, but added that this would not be used in all locations. He said the plan was still to go drill under main roads, rivers and the railway to minimise disruption. He also described the ducting method which would use jointing bays to pull the cable through each sectionvery(approximately 1kmkilometre), speeding accelerating the restoration process works and ensuring the scheme moved on as quickly as possible to avoid unnecessary disruption.

Tina Tilley said any disruption to traffic was a major concern to local businesses and asked whether there would be co-ordination with other agencies when it came to digging up roads. Vaughan Weighill said he understood the concerns of residents and businesses. There would be disruption to one or two major roads but access via these would be maintained. He added that E.ON would carry out utility searches to minimise conflict with other works.

Tony Mernagh asked what E.ON’s plans were with regards to working with residents affected by the development, such as those in Twineham. Chris Tomlinson explained that the project team had been in talks with the residents of Bob Lane and had spoken at Parish Council meetings. E.ON will continue to consult residents near the substation and have proposed the establishment of a Community Liaison Committee for residents to help inform the Traffic Management Plan, which would ultimately need to be approved by the Highways Agency (West Sussex County Council), and to keep residents informed during the construction process if the project is consented.A Community Liaison Committee had been formed and measures such as creating a Traffic Management Plan which would be signed off by West Sussex County Council and introducing mitigating planting would be implemented to reduce the impact of the project

3. The Development Consent Order (DCO) examination process

Tony Mernagh asked where the Planning Inspectorate’s hearings would take place. Vaughan Weighill said that hearings typically took place in local Town Halls. The timetable would be co-ordinated by the Planning Inspectorate and E.ON would attend to answer stakeholder questions.

4. Wider project update

Vaughan Weighill updated attendees on the next steps forward for the project. He explained that a number of geotechnical surveys would be taking place which was a more invasive process of collecting samples from the seabed. The samples would help inform the foundations for the turbines, which would in turn help determine the size and scope of the scheme. He said the exact scope would become clearer towards the end of this year.

He added that E.ON would also continue to communicate with suppliers on how they could become involved with the project.

Tina Tilley said a number of local businesses had attended workshop events with E.ON but had not since had an update on progress in the past few months or any communication outlining future opportunities to become involved. She said this would make it difficult for businesses to plan for any new business which might arise from the project and urged E.ON to keep communication channels open. She suggested E.ON contact businesses which had previously attended workshops with an update.

Action: Contact businesses previously attended workshops with an update on the project’s progress outlining any future workshop/event dates.

Tony Mernagh asked about the scale of the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm project in comparison with other similar schemes. Vaughan Weighill said the project was on a large scale compared to some wind farms which had already been completed but was a small scale scheme in comparison to ‘Round 3’ sites still in the planning stages such as the Dogger Bank Offshore Wind Farm, which he described as a ‘megazone’.

Tony Freeman asked for more information on the mMeteorological (mMet) Mmast. Chris Tomlinson said that the mast was positioned on a monopiole 110m above sea level and was constantly monitoring conditions such as wind speed data turbulence. Two year’s data from the Met Mast was needed to inform construction of the project and to date, once year’s data has been collected.

He also asked the team when they thought offshore construction might begin. Vaughan Weighill said he expected construction to start at the end of 2016 but added that E.ON were investing in a number of schemes and there may be a sequence as to which projects were started first. He added other external factors would influence the start of construction including the availability of specialist vessels and equipment. Vaughan said the project team would have a better idea of when construction might start at the end of 2013.

Tony Mernagh asked if the team were concerned that the government’s stance on wind as a renewable energy source might be variable. Vaughan Weighill replied that attitudes to onshore wind farms may have changed but that offshore wind generation was a proven technology. He added that it was not the only solution to the country’s power gap and that a mix of different sources was needed. He said the downsides to offshore wind farms were that they were expensive in terms of capital investment, but added these costs may decrease in the future.

Chris explained there wasn’t one power solution which would tick every box to plug the UK’s power gap. E.ON referred to this as a ‘Trilemma’ and that a balanced energy mix was required to secure – no single power source was cheap, greenclean and and secure energy while stabilising electricity prices. He said the offshore wind farm would reduce carbon emissions but would cost more than an offshore wind farm to construct.

Tony Freeman asked about the impact of bringing power onshore. Vaughan Weighill explained that the cable would be buried underground and therefore out of sight. He added that the scheme’s location in the south east was a benefit as there was high demand for power in this area.

Tina Tilley said there had been great debate as to why Shoreham had not been selected as the Operations and Maintenance Base for the project. Vaughan Weighill said there was less space at Shoreham as it was a commercial port with a different mix of businesses and activities. He added that, in terms of facilities, E.ON needed space for workshops, servicing areas and offices on the quayside, which was more readily available at Newhaven. Vaughan said both Ports had put together strong bids and that said feedback had been given to both Ports. The project team was still in talks with Shoreham Port which had the potential to be used a location for survey boats, and indeed the port had recently been used by E.ON to support the geophysical surveys.

Tony Freeman added that the A26 was a better road and would be more able to take traffic.

5. Dates and times for future meetings

Paula Seager asked for attendees thoughts on regrouping at a later stage as the timescale for the progress of the project was currently in the hands of the Planning Inspectorate.

Vaughan Weighill said he expected that there would be increased interest in the activities of the Business & Tourism PLG and Tina Tilley added that potentially it would peak at a later date than other PLG groups. Vaughan reiterated that it was E.ON’s intention to bring as much benefit as possible to local businesses.

Attendees also discussed possible locations for the Visitor Centre with Tony Mernagh suggesting Brighton as it was an eco town and the world’s first One Planet Living City. Chris reported that a number of suggestions had been made for a visitor centre location and that the issue would be carefully considered over the next 12 months.

6. AOB

Paula Seager suggested that updates be sent to companies which attended previous workshops with another update scheduled for six month’s time. Chris Tomlinson added that a further newsletter would be produced just before Christmas.

Cllr Sargent also questioned how many surfers the project would affect. Chris explained that this issue had also come up in the Business and Tourism PLG held immediately before the Community PLG. Although the area was not seen as a particular hotspot for advanced surfers, it was popular with beginners to the sport and bolstered by tourist visitors to the Brighton area.

Cllr Sargent also asked if the residents near to the substation in Bolney would be compensated for any disturbance while construction work was underway or for any impact onto their properties. Vaughan explained that the offshore wind farm was deemed to be a nationally significant infrastructure project and residents would not be compensated. However he said Eon would seek to minimise the impact of construction to Wineham residents with measures such as mitigation planting and the formation of a Community Liaison Committee which would look into traffic and vehicle considerations e.g. timing of lorry movements, wheelwashing.

He said the properties were already adjacent to one of the largest electricity substations in the south coast which was why the site had been identified. He explained the cable itself would be underground but the building would be the largest onshore construction site of the scheme itself.

Cllr Sargent asked if the substation would be manned and Vaughan replied that it would not but would be monitored by high tech equipment at all times.

2.Feedback from PLG members on changes made resulting from consultation

Sue Trimingham asked for any comments or feedback on the updates.

Claire Hunt thanked E.on for listening and responding to the concerns of the community.

As many Peacehaven rsidents worked in Newhaven, Cllr Sargent said the adoption of Newhaven as the operations and mintenance base would affect the town's residents. He asked whether additional work would required on Newhaven quay.

Vaughan Weighill replied that there would be no major works required for the quayside but that some of the older buildings would need to be demolished to develop the facility. He added that the new facility would provide skilled jobs for 65 to 85 people. He added the turbines would mostly be brought in from Germany or Denmark and it was likely the turbine manufacturers would want to recruit crews locally.

He listed the positive attributes of Newhaven included the amount of space and flexibility that it could offer. He added that E.ON was still in talks with Shoreham Port and were using the port as a base for site investigation vessels. He added that the Port may still be used to access the western side of the development.

With regards to Newhaven, Vaughan added that there would be major upgrades to the Port which the Port was keen to progress. There would also be scoping work which would be carried out in conjunction with Lewes District Council. He added E.ON would have a better idea of how the site would work towards the end of this year.

Claire Hunt said it was a shame that Shoreham had not been selected as the base, but with potentially 1,500

Cllr Sargent highlighted the shortage of hotel accommodation in the Newhaven area.

Vaughan added that E.ON was involved in a study with Marine SouthEast and were putting together a supply chain study, identifying construction companies in Sussex and the wider region. The project involved identifying potential contractors and identifying their suitability and key capabilities. He added the companies may not prove a suitable match for E.ON itself but may be suitable for projects further along the supply chain. He gave the example that 27km on shore cable project required civil engineering and electrical contractors and would provide a business opportunity for contractors across the region.

Vaghan added that there were some highly specialised tasks which would require specialised support barges but there would be a raft of support vessels needed from the established marine sector.

5.Dates and time for future meetings

Due to similarities in the meeting content, attendees felt it would be beneficial to amalgamate their group with the Business and Tourism PLG (B&TPLG).

Claire Hunt added that the re were synergies between the Community and the B&T PLG as the group would be discussing agenda items such as the Visitor Centre. She added that the Community Group had achieved its remit which was reaching out to the community through the consultation process which was now complete.

Chris Tomlinson said he would also write to the Sea Users PLG and see if they would also like to amalgamate their function into a larger group or combine with another. He added a change of strategy was now needed following the proposal's submission to the Planning Inspectorate.

Cllr Sergent asked whether it would be useful to design a poster with the 11 May deadline and the web address to register for comments which he could place in both the Telscombe and Peacehaven offices of the Council. Chris Tomlinson replied that a poster had not been designed but offered a quantity of the latest Rampion Offshore Wind Farm newsletter which could be taken and placed in the offices.