The OEP has welcomed the aim to ensure that Offshore Wind (OFW) compensation delivers the most ecologically effective and beneficial outcomes. We continue to support the overall design and ambition of strategic compensation for OFW, while noting that it also presents some environmental risks.
Helen Venn, the OEP’s Chief Regulatory Officer, said: “As with the recent consultation on the related Marine Recovery Fund (MRF), there are commendable aspects of the proposed approach to compensation, such as the continued integration of monitoring, creation of a public compensation register, adaptive management and the mitigation hierarchy.
"The risks to the environment and the potential challenges to Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that we highlighted in our MRF consultation response remain relevant and we have identified further challenges.
"We will continue to monitor the development of OFW compensation to support the expansion of offshore wind in a way that does not come at the expense of an already depleted marine environment, and enables the urgent recovery required.”
The OEP’s consultation response identifies additional environmental risks associated with the proposals;
- MPA network coherence and targets
- Additionality of measures
- The need for clear guidance
It also reiterates that transparency on how the Environmental Principles Policy Statement is informing development of OFW compensation would be a positive step and would be useful to those engaged with this policy, and for wider scrutiny and accountability purposes.
The full response can be downloaded by clicking on the blue button to the right of this page.
The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP)'s response to the proposed Marine Recovery fund welcomes its overall design and ambition but identifies a number of potential environmental risks.