Planning Consent Awarded

On 14 May 2026 the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero granted a Development Consent Order covering Dogger Bank South East and West — overriding the Examining Authority's recommendation to refuse. The ExA had concluded that the Order could not be made under Habitats Regulations 63 and 64: the applicant's guillemot compensation (predator eradication at Middle Mouse, Anglesey) was unproven and no strategic ornithological compensation mechanism existed, with the wider planning balance "finely balanced". Post-examination, on 5 October 2025, the applicants submitted a revised shortlist of predator-eradication sites in the Outer Hebrides and Shetland; Natural England supported the proposals on 15 November 2025, and the Duchy of Cornwall backed a parallel Isles of Scilly programme. Lord Whitehead, deciding on behalf of the Energy Secretary, found Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest in the Net Zero and energy-security need, ruled no feasible alternatives, and approved a Regulation 68 compensation package covering kittiwake and guillemot for the Flamborough and Filey Coast SPA, guillemot for the Farne Islands SPA, and sandbanks for the Dogger Bank SAC — secured via Schedule 18 with flexibility for Marine Recovery Fund contributions, up to two offshore Artificial Nesting Sites (potentially jointly with Outer Dowsing OWF), and an existing onshore ANS at Gateshead as a kittiwake fallback. The Order authorises up to 200 turbines across two array areas, up to 8 offshore platforms, export cables to landfall near Skipsea (East Riding of Yorkshire), and up to 2 onshore converter stations near Bentley connecting to the proposed Birkhill Wood substation. DBS East is the 1.5 GW eastern array (≥122 km from shore), developed by RWE (51%) / Masdar (49%) with AR7 CfDs secured in January 2026. FID targeted 2027. PINS reference EN010125.