The UK Government has extended the decision deadline for the Development Consent Order application for the Dogger Bank South offshore wind farm. The announcement was made in a written statement to Parliament by Energy Minister Martin McCluskey. The application for development consent was submitted under the Planning Act 2008 by RWE Renewables Dogger Bank South West and RWE Renewables Dogger Bank South East.
The project comprises two array areas, Dogger Bank South East and Dogger Bank South West, located within the Dogger Bank Special Area of Conservation in the North Sea, approximately 100 to 122 kilometres off the North Yorkshire coast.
Under the Planning Act 2008, the Secretary of State is required to decide on an application within three months of receiving the Examining Authority’s report, unless a new deadline is set. The original statutory deadline for the Dogger Bank South project was 10 January 2026.
The new deadline has been extended to 30 April 2026. According to the statement, the extension will allow time to request additional information that was not provided during the examination period and to give interested parties an opportunity to review and comment on that information.
The Minister stated that the extension does not indicate the outcome of the application, and that the decision on whether to grant or refuse development consent remains open.
