Andrew Snowden MP has written to the new Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Miatta Fahnbulleh MP, urging her to visit Fylde before making a final decision on the controversial Morgan and Morecambe offshore wind cabling corridor.
In his letter, Andrew has called on the new Energy Secretary to take a fresh look at the project following significant developments in recent months, including the Government's decision to pause the Development Consent Order process and the withdrawal of one of the Morgan Wind Farm developers, EnBW, after it failed to secure government support.
Andrew is urging the Secretary of State to use the pause in the process to fully consider the alternative Northern Option, which has the backing of Fylde Borough Council, Wyre Borough Council and Lancashire County Council, alongside widespread cross-party political support and backing from parish councils, businesses, farmers and community groups across the Fylde Coast.
The Northern Option would route the infrastructure via Rossall and the Hillhouse Enterprise Zone, avoiding much of the disruption to homes, farmland, businesses and environmentally sensitive areas that the current proposal would cause. Independent work commissioned by the three councils suggests the alternative route could reduce underground cabling from around 30 kilometres to approximately five kilometres, save up to £520 million in infrastructure costs, create around 1,100 jobs and generate up to £1.7 billion of additional economic value.
Andrew Snowden MP said:
"The Government now has an opportunity to take a fresh look at this project, and I hope the new Secretary of State will do exactly that.
"The evidence supporting the Northern Option is stronger than ever. It has the backing of all three local councils, support across party political lines, and the support of parish councils, residents, businesses and community campaign groups who have worked together throughout this campaign.
"This isn't about opposing offshore wind or the transition to cleaner energy. It's about making sure nationally significant infrastructure is delivered in the right place, in the most sensible and cost-effective way, with the least possible impact on local communities.
"The recent withdrawal of one of the Morgan developers has also raised serious questions about the future of the existing proposal. Rather than pressing ahead regardless, this is the moment to step back, look at the evidence and make the right decision."
Andrew has invited the Secretary of State to visit Fylde to see first-hand the communities, countryside and businesses that would be affected by the proposed cabling corridor, and to meet representatives from Lancashire County Council, Fylde Borough Council, Wyre Borough Council, parish
councils and the community groups who have led the campaign for a better alternative.
He added:
"I want the Secretary of State to see for herself what is at stake. Once you stand on our coastline, walk across the farmland that would be dug up and meet the people whose lives and livelihoods would be affected, it becomes clear why there is such overwhelming support for the Northern Option.
"I will continue working with Councillor Karen Buckley, the three councils, parish councils and the fantastic community groups who have fought so hard on this issue. Together, we will keep making the case for a better solution that protects both our environment and our communities while still delivering the energy infrastructure our country needs."
TEXT of Andrew Snowden's letter to Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero
Congratulations on your appointment as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.
I am writing regarding the proposed Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms Transmission Assets Development Consent Order, which you have inherited following your appointment.
In May, I wrote to your predecessor urging him to reject the proposed onshore cabling corridor through Fylde and Lancashire, or at the very least delay any decision to allow proper consideration of the compelling evidence supporting the alternative Northern Option via Rossall and the Hillhouse Enterprise Zone. I welcomed his subsequent decision to pause the determination process to allow further representations to be considered.
I hope this provides you with an opportunity to look afresh at the proposal before reaching a final decision. Since my previous letter, the case for reconsidering the current proposal has only become stronger. One of the principal developers behind the Morgan Offshore Wind Farm, EnBW, has now withdrawn from the project after failing to secure a Contracts for Difference allocation, concluding that the scheme is no longer economically viable in the current investment environment. This raises significant questions about the future of the project, the viability of the shared transmission corridor, and whether this is the right time to reconsider the overall approach to connecting offshore wind in the eastern Irish Sea.
At the same time, the evidence supporting the Northern Option remains compelling. The alternative route has the backing of Fylde Borough Council, Wyre Borough Council and Lancashire County Council, together with broad cross-party political support, parish councils, businesses, farmers and community organisations across the Fylde Coast. It is rare to see such a wide coalition united behind a single infrastructure proposal, but the strength of that consensus reflects both the scale of the concerns with the current route and the credibility of the alternative. The independent work commissioned by the three councils demonstrates that the Northern Option is not simply a local preference but a realistic and deliverable alternative. Their analysis indicates it could reduce underground cabling from around 30 kilometres to approximately 5 kilometres, utilise existing industrial and utility corridors, significantly reduce impacts on productive agricultural land, homes, businesses and environmentally sensitive areas, and generate wider economic benefits by supporting the continued growth of the Hillhouse Enterprise Zone within the Blackpool North and Fleetwood Constituency.
Perhaps most significantly, the economic assessment suggests the Northern Option could reduce overall infrastructure costs by as much as £520 million while creating around 1,100 additional jobs and generating up to £1.7 billion in economic value. It also challenges previous assumptions that environmental constraints around Stanah made the route unviable, concluding instead that these impacts are capable of being appropriately mitigated. Taken together, these developments present a compelling case for a fresh assessment of the project. The current proposal should not proceed simply because it has reached an advanced stage in the planning process when credible evidence now demonstrates there may be a better solution for consumers, taxpayers, local communities and the environment alike.
I urge you to give full and careful consideration to the joint representations submitted by Lancashire County Council, Fylde Borough Council and Wyre Borough Council before reaching your decision. I would also like to renew the invitation previously extended to your predecessor to visit Fylde. I would be delighted to show you first-hand the communities, farmland, coastline and businesses that would be affected by the current proposal, together with the opportunities presented by the Northern Option.
The opportunity for you to meet representatives from the three councils, local parish councils and the many community groups who have worked tirelessly and collaboratively throughout this campaign would be very helpful to understand the situation here on the ground.
Local people are not opposed to offshore wind or the transition to cleaner energy. They simply believe that nationally significant infrastructure should be delivered in the right place, in the most cost-effective way, and with the least possible impact on the communities expected to host it.
I believe the Northern Option achieves those objectives far better than the current proposal. I look forward to hearing from you and hope you will take the opportunity to visit Fylde before any final determination is made.
