Lancashire councils urge new government to consider alternative offshore wind connection

The three councils have written jointly to Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh asking them to consider an alternative northern connection before decisions are finalised on transmission infrastructure for the Morgan, Morecambe and Mooir Vannin offshore wind projects.

The call follows EnBW’s withdrawal from the Morgan project after it failed to secure a Contract for Difference allocation.

The councils say the position has moved on since the current transmission proposals were developed. Combined with the findings of their independent economic review, they believe there is now a strong case for government to consider the alternative northern connection.

The review, which was commissioned before the recent change to the Morgan project, found that an alternative route for Morgan and Morecambe could potentially save around £287m compared with the proposed route, rising to £520m if infrastructure upgrades to accommodate Mooir Vannin were included.

It also identified the potential to help unlock Hillhouse Enterprise Zone, supporting around 1,100 additional jobs and generating between £990m and £1.7bn in additional GVA between 2030 and 2040.

The councils have invited ministers to Lancashire to see the proposed landing point and Hillhouse Enterprise Zone for themselves. They have also offered to present the findings at Number 10 North.

County Councillor Joshua Roberts, cabinet member for Rural Affairs, Environment and Communities at Lancashire County Council, said:

“The position has moved on considerably since these plans were drawn up. EnBW has withdrawn from Morgan and we now have independent economic evidence showing the scale of what could be achieved through a different approach.

“The review points to potentially substantial infrastructure savings, more than a thousand additional jobs and the opportunity to unlock further investment at Hillhouse, one of Lancashire’s major strategic employment sites.

“We want to see this infrastructure delivered, but we also want to get it right. There is an opportunity here to deliver better value nationally and a much stronger economic return for Lancashire. We’re asking the new government to look at that before the current approach is locked in.”

The councils are clear that they are not seeking to delay offshore wind development. They want government to consider the alternative northern connection before decisions are taken on the transmission infrastructure.