News

The Council will be considering applications for Councillor vacancies at its next Full Council Meeting on Monday 8th April 2024.

For more information, please see the link on this page.

The examination of the Rampion 2 Development Consent Order (DCO) application begins Tuesday 6th February with the Preliminary Meeting and Open Floor Hearing in Brighton, followed by Issue Specific Hearings on environmental matters from 7^th – 9^th February. Anyone can observe the events either in person, livestream online, or watch a recording after the event. However, you must register in advance if you wish to participate. For further information, please visithttps://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/rampion-2. The examination is expected to close on 6h August 2024.

The following representations from Washington Parish Council can be viewed at the end of this page and will be taken into consideration in the examination:

• Washington Parish Council's comments to be taken into consideration at the Preliminary Meeting on 6th February 2024
• Washington Parish Council's registration to be an Interested Party in the examination (Submitted September 2023)
  
• Washington Recreation Ground Charity's registration to be in an Interested Party in the examination (Submitted September 2023)
• Washington Parish Council's submitted comments on the Rampion 2 Second Statutory Consultation 2022

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Full details of the Planning Inspectorate's Notice of Preliminary Meeting, Issue Specific and Open Floor Hearings is below:

Rampion Extension Development Limited

PLANNING INSPECTORATE REFERENCE NUMBER: EN010117

Rule 13(6) Infrastructure Planning (Examination Procedure) Rules 2010

Notice of Preliminary Meeting, Issue Specific and Open Floor Hearings

Notice is hereby given that, at the dates, times and locations set out below, the following Hearings will be held by the Planning Inspectorate (on behalf of the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero) in respect of the application by Rampion Extension Development Limited of Windmill Hill Business Park, Whitehill Way, Swindon SN56PB (“the Applicant”) for a Development Consent Order pursuant to the Planning Act 2008. The Application (Reference No. EN010117) was submitted by the Applicant to the Secretary of State c/o the Planning Inspectorate under sections 14(1) and 15(3) of the Planning Act 2008 on 10 August 2023 and was accepted on 7 September 2023 (“the Application”).

The hearings will be held as virtual events using Microsoft Teams, and it will be possible to join them via any standard internet browser or alternatively by telephone dial-in. Full instructions on how to join online or by telephone will be provided in advance to those who have pre-registered. If you require assistance with registering your attendance, please contact the Case Team atRampion2@planninginspectorate.gov.uk, or by calling 0303 444 5000.

The Pre-Examination Procedural Deadline and subsequent Deadlines are set out in the Draft Examination Timetable, available to view in the Rule 6 Letter on the project page of the Infrastructure Planning website infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/rampion-2.

Any further hearings will be publicised as required by the Examining Authority and by the Infrastructure Planning (Examination Procedure) Rules 2010.

Summary of the Project:

The Applicant is seeking development consent for an offshore generating station adjacent to and forming an extension to the existing Rampion Offshore Wind Farm, at the location approximately 13km south of the Sussex coast located to the west and south of the existing Rampion Offshore Windfarm, and all infrastructure required to transmit the power generated to the Bolney National Grid substation, which will require to be extended (the “Proposed Development”). The offshore generating station is located in an area approximately 196km2. The onshore cable corridor is approximately 38.8km long from the landfall at Climping, West Sussex to a new substation at Oakendene, 2km east of Cowfold, West Sussex and then to the existing Bolney National Grid Substation, at Twineham, Mid Sussex. The onshore elements of the Proposed Development fall within the administrative boundaries of the following host authorities:

· Arun District Council;

· Horsham District Council;

· Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC);

· South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA); and

· West Sussex County Council (WSCC).

In summary the Proposed Development includes:

· an offshore generating station with an electrical export capacity of in excess of 100MW comprising up to 90 wind turbines and array cables, in an area approximately 196km2, located approximately 13km south of the Sussex coast located to the west and south of the existing Rampion Offshore Windfarm

· up to three offshore substations

· cables between the wind turbine generators (“WTG”), between the WTGs and the offshore substations, and between the offshore substations themselves and the landfall location at Climping, West Sussex

· an underground cable connection between the landfall, and a satellite substation known as Oakendene, and then onwards to connect into the existing National Grid substation at Bolney, together with an extension to that existing substation.

The Proposed Development comprises a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (“NSIP”) pursuant to sections 14(1)(a) and 15(3) of the 2008 Act as an offshore generating station having a capacity of more than 100MW. Pursuant to section 31 of the 2008 Act a DCO is required to authorise an NSIP.

The Proposed Development also includes associated development linked to the NSIP which can be authorised by a DCO pursuant to section 115 of the 2008 Act.

The Development Consent Order would authorise the compulsory acquisition of land, interests in land and rights over land, and the powers to use land permanently and temporarily.

A map showing the location of the proposed location of the project forms part of the Application and can be viewed at the following link:infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/rampion-2.

Copies of Application Documents

The Application form and the accompanying documents, plans, maps and Environmental Statement (ES) and Non-Technical Summary (NTS) for the project can be viewed and downloaded free of charge online on the Rampion 2 project page of the Infrastructure Planning website under the documents tab:infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/rampion-2. The documents will be available on the website throughout the examination period.Further information can also be obtained from the Applicant using the following contact details:

· Email:rampion2@rwe.com

· Freephone: 0800 2800 886

· Write: Rampion 2 Wind Farm, RWE, Windmill Hill Business Park, Whitehill Way, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN5 6PB

The following notification was received by Washington Parish Council from RWE:

Rampion 2 application accepted for Examination by Planning Inspectorate "We are writing to inform you that on 7th September, the Rampion 2 Development Consent Order (DCO) application for an offshore wind farm off the coast of Sussex, was accepted for examination by the Government’s Planning Inspectorate. We have carried out a huge programme of engagement and consultation over the past three years and have subsequently made changes to the project proposals in response to feedback from statutory consultees and the Sussex community and we thank the local communities in Sussex for taking the time to provide feedback on the project proposals to date. The application being examined includes detailed proposals for the Rampion 2 Offshore Wind Farm, the final Environmental Statement which sets out potential impacts and mitigations, and a Consultation Report which details the engagement and consultations carried out over the past three years and how the Project Team has taken account of the feedback received. Situated to the west of the existing Rampion Offshore Wind Farm, Rampion 2, if consented, would include up to 90 turbines a minimum of eight miles offshore. An offshore export cable route would bring the power ashore under Climping Beach on the coast, and the underground cable route would continue inland to a new substation called Oakendene near Cowfold, then finally connect the power to the national electricity network at Bolney in Mid Sussex. The Rampion 2 Offshore Wind Farm could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of over one million homes and reduce carbon emissions by around 1.8 million tonnes. This means Rampion and Rampion 2 combined could power the equivalent of all of the homes in Sussex, twice over. Now that the DCO application is accepted for examination by the Planning Inspectorate, in accordance with Section 56 of the Planning Act 2008, the Rampion 2 Project Team will publicise Notices of the accepted application in local and national newspapers, setting out how the community can register their opinions with the Planning Inspectorate. The public will be able to view the final proposals and register as an ‘interested party’ with the Planning Inspectorate at the Project Page of the Planning Inspectorate website at Rampion 2 Offshore Wind Farm | National Infrastructure Planning (planninginspectorate.gov.uk). Anyone wishing to be kept informed or to participate in the examination can register at the same website. The Examination process is expected to take six months, and a final decision on whether consent will be granted will be made by the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero by early 2025.

Contact 0800 2800 886 or visit www.rampion2.com for more information

Horsham District Regulation 19 Local Plan 2023-2040 consultation is now closed. 

Washington Parish Council's consultation comments can be viewed in the link under 'Additional Documents' below. 

The six-week consultation ended on Friday 1 March 2024. During this time, written representations were invited on whether the Regulation 19 Local Plan meets national planning requirements and is legally compliant. Representations will be submitted with the Local Plan for consideration by a government-appointed, independent Planning Inspector.

For further details please see the notice from Horsham District Council on this page or go to: https://www.horsham.gov.uk/planning/local-plan/local-plan-regulation-19

There are three vacancies on the Parish Council

If you are interested in becoming a Councillor, please contact us either by phone on 0777 6771921 for an informal chat or email: clerk@washingtonparish.org.uk

Washington Parish Council, with the assistance of a Planning Consultant, has made a formal submission to the Rampion 2 Second Consultation 2022.

A copy of our response can be read here.

The consultation closed on Tuesday 29th November 2022 at 23:59 hours. 

You can find the Rampion 2 Consultation materials on potential changes to their onshore cable route proposals, at www.rampion2.com 

We will shortly be publishing the draft minutes of the Council's Extraordinary Meeting on 21st November 2022, at which the Rampion 2 consultation was discussed.

'Help for Households'

The Cabinet Office has recently launched the 'Help for Households' campaign which explains the 41 different government schemes available to help people with the cost of living, including new one-off payments as well as existing benefits and schemes. These schemes have now been brought onto one Cost of Living Support website.

Please follow the link;

https://costoflivingsupport.campaign.gov.uk

The South Downs National Park Authority 8-week public consultation on the Issues & Option version of the Shoreham Cement Works Area Action Plan (AAP) closed on Tuesday 02 August 2022. It was published for public consultation under Regulation 18 of The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended) and opens from Tuesday 07 June 2022.  

The AAP for Shoreham Cement Works is a mini Local Plan for the site, which follows on from its allocation as a strategic site in the South Downs Local Plan. 

More information on the AAP and the consultation can be found by visiting the SDNPA website at: Shoreham Cement Works Area Action Plan - South Downs National Park Authority .

Washington Parish Council is a statutory consultee and submitted comments agreed at its meeting on Monday 4th July 2022. To view these, please make an email request to: clerk@washingtonparish.org.uk

WASHINGTON PARISH COUNCIL should have 11 councillors but we are currently understrength and looking for new members.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD PARISH COUNCILLOR? Our members come from a wide variety of backgrounds but we all love our parish and wish to do everything we can to maintain and cherish what we have whilst also keeping a close eye on all potential planning developments and reporting our views to the relevant planning authorities to ensure the best result. All members can freely express their views in a relaxed and friendly meeting before any decision is taken.

The only requirements are that you must live or work in the parish, like to keep abreast of local issues and be able to attend evening meetings on the 1^st and 3^rd Monday each month.

Should you feel able to join us we would be very pleased to hear from you. Please contact our Clerk on 0777 6771921 or email clerk@washingtonparish.org.uk

Click on this link and enter the application reference DC/21/2161 to view details of the proposals on the Horsham District Council planning portal

Rampion 2 Windfarm Expansion: Public Consultation 14^th July -16^th September 2021

The Rampion 2 public consultation for draft proposals of a windfarm expansion off the Sussex Coast closed on Thursday 16th September.

Washington PC does not support the current routing proposal ("Route B") which would take the cable pipeline through Washington Village via horizontal directional drilling under the Recreation Ground/Allotment land, and result in additional traffic to already congested local roads. The Parish Council is also seriously concerned about the inappropriate locations of the proposed construction compounds around the village, which is largely in a conservation area within the SDNP. The Parish Council is asking that Rampion robustly pursues all other options to avoid the Village, including the original "Route A."  

See the Parish Council's full consultation response at the end of this page and also on the Planning page.

For details of the scheme and information about the consultation process please visit Rampion's web page at: https://rampion2.com/consultation/ 

Rampion 2: MP's online survey to canvass local opinion

Sussex MP Andrew Griffith (Arundel and South Downs) has launched a survey to find out residents' views on the proposed expansion of the Rampion off-shore windfarm with associated onshore cable corridor and a new electricity sub-station. To take part in the survey and to read the MP's comments on the recent public consultation, go to: Rampion 2/Andrew Griffith (andrewgriffithmp.com)