North Devon Council (NDC) has initiated a 30-day consultation on new information provided by developers Flotation Energy and Cobra for the proposed 100MW White Cross floating wind farm in the Celtic Sea. The consultation, which runs until February 7, 2025, seeks feedback on additional data submitted by the developers, including new bat survey findings, a cable burial risk assessment, details on environmental management and monitoring, as well as information regarding flood risk, drainage, and coastal erosion.
This consultation marks the third such event held by NDC since the onshore planning application for the wind farm was submitted in August 2023. The consultation is running concurrently with a similar process managed by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), which is responsible for granting permission for the offshore components of the project.
An NDC spokesperson stated, “North Devon Council has received additional information in support of the planning application for the White Cross offshore wind farm and has commenced a further round of public consultation on the application. The council hopes to be in a position to determine the application in spring 2025.
Once completed, the 100MW wind farm is expected to provide energy to power more than 135,000 households. The developers emphasized the project's importance as a demonstration for future floating offshore wind projects in the Celtic Sea.
A spokesperson for Flotation Energy and Cobra noted, “White Cross is an essential test and demonstration project that will enable future floating offshore wind developments in the Celtic Sea. We remain committed to the White Cross project, and the project team have been continuing to engage with the appropriate statutory consultees. We submitted further information to North Devon Council and the Marine Management Organisation before Christmas, as requested, and this is now subject of another period of public consultation.
The consultation process is a key step before the final decision on the permit, which is expected in the spring of 2025.
