# The Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Generation Assets Order 2025, Paragraph 9: Pre-construction plans and documentation

Extent: E+W+S

(1) No part of the licensed activities may commence until the following (insofar as relevant to that activity or phase of activity) have been submitted to and approved by the MMO in consultation with the relevant statutory nature conservation body, Trinity House or the MCA, as appropriate—
(a) a design plan (which accords with the design statement) at a scale of between 1:25,000 and 1:50,000, including detailed representation on the most suitably scaled admiralty chart, which is to be submitted at least six months before the intended commencement of licensed activities, to be approved by the MMO setting out proposed details of the authorised project, including—
(i) the number, dimensions, specification, and foundation type(s) for each wind turbine generator and offshore substation platform;
(ii) the proposed layout of all wind turbine generators and offshore substation platforms (which shall be in accordance with the recommendations for layout contained in MGN654 and its annexes), including grid coordinates of the centre point of the proposed location for each wind turbine generator and offshore substation platform and providing that such centre point is subject to a maximum up to 55m micro-siting in any direction unless otherwise agreed with the MMO in consultation with the MCA and Trinity House;
(iii) the proposed specification and layout of all cables;
(iv) the proposed location and specification of all other aspects of the authorised project; and
(v) any archaeological exclusion zones or micro-siting requirements relating to any benthic habitats of conservational, ecological or economic importance constituting reef habitats of principal importance as listed under section 41 (biodiversity lists and action (England)) of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006,
to ensure conformity with the description of Work No. 1 and Work No. 2 and compliance with conditions 1 and 2 and any wake effects plan approved by the Secretary of State in accordance with requirement 13(1)(a);
(b) a construction programme to include details of—
(i) the proposed construction start date;
(ii) proposed timings for mobilisation of plant delivery of materials and installation works;
(iii) an indicative written construction programme for all wind turbine generators and offshore substation platforms forming part of the authorised project and licensed activities;
(c) a monitoring plan (which accords with the in principle monitoring plan) to include details of proposed pre-construction surveys, baseline report format and content, construction monitoring, post-construction monitoring and related reporting in accordance with conditions 14, 15 and 16 to be submitted to the MMO in accordance with the following—
(i) at least six months prior to the first survey, details of the pre-construction surveys and an outline of all proposed pre-construction monitoring;
(ii) at least six months prior to construction, details of construction monitoring;
(iii) at least six months prior to completion of construction, details of operational monitoring, if required;
(d) an offshore construction method statement which is to be submitted at least six months before the intended commencement of licensed activities and is in accordance with the outline construction method statement and the construction methods assessed in the environmental statement, including details of—
(i) cable specification, installation and monitoring, to include—
(aa) the technical specification of the inter-array cables and platform link cables;
(bb) a detailed cable specification and installation plan for the authorised project, incorporating a cable burial risk assessment encompassing the identification of any cable protection that exceeds 5 percent of navigable depth referenced to Chart Datum and, in the event that any area of cable protection exceeding 5 percent of navigable depth is identified, details of any steps (to be determined following consultation with the MCA and Trinity House) to be taken to ensure existing and future safe navigation is not compromised or similar such assessment to ascertain suitable burial depths and cable laying techniques, including cable protection; and
(cc) details of cable monitoring including details of cable protection until the authorised project is decommissioned which includes a risk based approach to the management of unburied or shallow buried cables;
(ii) scour protection management and cable protection management (which accords with the outline scour protection and cable protection plan) which is to be submitted at least six months before the installation of any scour protection or cable protection including details of the need, type, sources, quantity and installation methods for scour protection and cable protection, with details updated and resubmitted for approval if changes to it are proposed following cable laying operations;
(iii) foundation installation methodology, including drilling methods and disposal of drill arisings and material extracted during seabed preparation for foundation and cable installation works;
(iv) wind turbine generator installation methodology;
(v) offshore substation platform installation methodology;
(vi) contractors;
(vii) associated ancillary works; and
(viii) guard vessels to be employed;
(e) an offshore project environmental management plan which is to be submitted at least six months before the intended commencement of licensed activities and which accords with the outline project environmental management plan covering the period of construction and operation to include details of—
(i) a marine pollution contingency plan to address the risks, methods and procedures to deal with any spills and collision incidents during construction and operation of the authorised project in relation to all activities carried out;
(ii) a site specific chemical risk assessment for all chemicals that have a pathway to the marine environment and are used for the licensed activities (with the exception of any chemicals used in the course of normal navigation), which is to be submitted to the MMO for approval at least ten weeks prior to the use of such chemicals, including—
(aa) the function of the chemical;
(bb) the quantities being used and the frequency of use; and
(cc) the physical, chemical and ecotoxicological properties of the chemical (save for any chemicals present on the OSPAR List of Substances Used and Discharged Offshore which Are Considered to Pose Little or No Risk to the Environment (PLONOR));
(iii) waste management and disposal arrangements;
(iv) the contact details and responsibilities of a fisheries liaison officer;
(v) measures to minimise disturbance to marine mammals and rafting birds from vessels;
(vi) measures to minimise the potential spread of invasive non-native species;
(f) an offshore archaeological written scheme of investigation in relation to the area within the Order limits, which must accord with the outline offshore written scheme of investigation and industry good practice, in consultation with the statutory historic body to include—
(i) details of responsibilities of the undertaker, archaeological consultant and contractor;
(ii) a methodology for further site investigation including any specifications for geophysical, geotechnical and diver or remotely operated vehicle investigations;
(iii) archaeological analysis of survey data, and timetable for reporting, which is to be submitted to the MMO within four months of any survey being completed;
(iv) delivery of any mitigation including, where necessary, identification and modification of archaeological exclusion zones;
(v) monitoring of archaeological exclusion zones during and post construction;
(vi) a requirement for the undertaker to ensure that a copy of any agreed archaeological report is deposited with the Archaeological Data Service, by submitting an OASIS (Online Access to the Index of Archaeological Investigations) form with a digital copy of the report within six months of completion of construction of the authorised project, and to notify Historic England and the MMO that the OASIS form has been submitted to the Archaeological Data Service within two weeks of submission;
(vii) a reporting and recording protocol, including reporting of any wreck or wreck material during construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning of the authorised project; and
(viii) a timetable for all further site investigations, which must allow sufficient opportunity to establish a full understanding of the historic environment within the offshore Order limits and the approval of any necessary mitigation required as a result of the further site investigations prior to commencement of licensed activities;
(g) an offshore operation and maintenance plan which is to be submitted at least six months before the intended commencement of licensed activities and is in accordance with the outline offshore operation and maintenance plan, to be submitted to the MMO at least four months prior to commencement of operation of the licensed activities and to provide for review and resubmission every three years during the operational phase;
(h) an aids to navigation management plan to be agreed by the MMO following consultation with Trinity House specifying how the undertaker will ensure compliance with condition 5 from the commencement of construction of the authorised project to the completion of decommissioning;
(i) in the event that driven or part-driven pile foundations are proposed to be used, a marine mammal mitigation protocol (in accordance with the draft marine mammal mitigation protocol) which is to be submitted at least six months before the commencement of installation of any such driven or part-driven pile foundations, the intention of which is to prevent injury to marine mammals, following current best practice as advised by the relevant statutory nature conservation body;
(j) a vessel traffic management plan which is to be submitted at least six months before the intended commencement of licensed activities and is in accordance with the outline vessel traffic management plan; and
(k) a fisheries liaison and co-existence plan (in accordance with the outline fisheries liaison and co-existence plan) which is to be submitted at least six months before the intended commencement of licensed activities to ensure relevant fishing fleets are notified of commencement of licensed activities pursuant to condition 4 and to include—
(i) the appointment and responsibilities of a fisheries liaison officer; and
(ii) measures to address the interaction of the licensed activities with fishing activities.
(2) Pre-commencement surveys and archaeological investigations and pre-commencement material operations which involve intrusive seabed works must only take place in accordance with a specific written scheme of investigation (which must accord with the details set out in the outline offshore written scheme of investigation) which has been submitted to and approved by the MMO.
(3) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(e)(ii)—
“chemical” means a chemical element and will include both substances and preparations;
“pathway to the marine environment” means open systems or closed systems that require top up;
“preparation” means a mixture or solution composed of two or more substances; and
“substance” means a chemical element and its compounds in the natural state or obtained by any manufacturing process, including any additive necessary to preserve its stability and any impurity deriving from the process used, but excluding any solvent which may be separated without affecting the stability of the substance or changing its composition.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/1366/schedule/6/paragraph/9 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/morecambe-offshore-windfarm-generation-assets-order-2025/schedule-6/paragraph-9
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.