9. Anchoring

  1. Given the location of the Array and its distance from shore, there are unlikely to be any defined anchoring areas in the vicinity of the Array.
  2. Anchoring is at the discretion of the Vessel Master but can be in conjunction with the information provided by the Marine Coordination Centre or port authorities, where relevant; however, standard marine practice requires that when a vessel proceeds to anchor, consideration is given to:
  • water depth;
  • seabed type and charted hazards including cables/pipelines;
  • weather and tidal information including current and predicted weather;
  • avoidance of prohibited anchorage areas;
  • consideration of other anchored vessels;
  • avoidance of known areas of other marine activity such as fishing or recreational boating; and
  • avoidance of main commercial routes, pilot boarding area or other navigational features such as spoil grounds or subsea cables.
  1. All vessels associated with the Array will take the above into consideration prior to anchoring as per standard marine practice. Construction and operation and maintenance phase vessels requiring anchorage within the Array will request permission to do so from the Marine Coordination Centre.

10. Environmental Sensitivities Relevant to Vessel Managememt

  1. [This section will summarise the marine mammal and bird sensitivities relevant to vessel traffic associated with construction and operation and maintenance phases of the Array (where applicable). This section will also describe the indicative vessel routes as detailed in section 9 above in the context of the environmental sensitivities].

11. Compliance With MGN 654

  1. [Details of relevant condition to be added post-consent] require the Applicant to demonstrate that the NSVMP has adequately addressed all of the recommendations of MGN 654 (MCA, 2021a) and its annexes that may be appropriate to the Array, or any other relevant document which may supersede said guidance prior to approval of the NSVMP.
  2. MGN 654 has therefore been reviewed and all appropriate recommendations (at this pre-construction stage of the Array) have been identified. In each case it has been indicated where each of these recommendations has been addressed within this document (or other relevant consent plans) for the Development. The review summary is provided in annex B.

12. Compliance With the Application

  1. Annex A details how the Array design parameters and mitigation commitments relevant to navigational safety and vessel management have been compiled with via this document.

13. References

IMO (1972/77). Convention on International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) – Annex 3. London: IMO.

IMO (1974). International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). London: IMO.

MCA (2021a). Marine Guidance Note 654 (Merchant and Fishing) Safety of Navigation: Offshore Renewable Energy Installations (OREIs) – Guidance on UK Navigational Practice, Safety and Emergency Response. Southampton: MCA.

MCA (2021b). Emergency Response Cooperation Plans (ERCoP): Template for Construction, Operations and Decommissioning Phases. Southampton: MCA.


Annex A Compliance with The Array EIA Report

Table A.1:
Compliance with the Array EIA Report

Table A.1: Compliance with the Array EIA Report


Annex B: MGN 654 Compliance

Table :
B.1 MGN 654 Compliance

Table B.1 MGN 654 Compliance