The development process

The consenting route

In summer last year, we submitted a request to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero asking whether Hope Moor Wind Farm should be considered a project of national significance.

The Secretary of State confirmed in what is called a Section 35 direction, that it will be considered a project of national significance which requires development consent. Clarity at this early stage helps provide transparency for local authorities, landowners and communities regarding how the project will be developed and the steps involved. Since then, the Government has changed the thresholds so that the Proposed Development would be considered a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) in its own right.

As a project of national significance, Hope Moor Wind Farm will be brought forward through the Development Consent Order (DCO) process. This process provides a clear, structured framework for how major infrastructure projects are examined and consented. Following your feedback, and once we have submitted our application, the Planning Inspectorate will independently examine our proposals. The decision on whether to grant consent for Hope Moor will rest with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

The DCO regime sets out specific stages in the process for local communities, landowners, elected representatives and statutory bodies to comment on the proposals. These are the pre-application and examination stages. We are committed to working closely with the local community and therefore we will offer more opportunities for engagement throughout.

The DCO process has six stages. Hope Moor is currently in the pre‑application stage, where we are carrying out early environmental and technical studies and developing our proposals ahead of the expected submission of our application to the Planning Inspectorate in mid 2027.

Timeline

Pre‑Application (we are here)
This is the early design stage of the project, during which environmental studies and surveys are being undertaken, initial design proposals are being developed, and engagement is ongoing with local authorities, specialist bodies and local communities. This stage involves two rounds of public consultation to help shape the plans before any formal submission is made. Stage one consultation ran from 6 May to 30 June 2026, with stage two planned for late 2026 / early 2027. Further studies, surveys and design development will continue as the project progresses.
Acceptance
Submission of the DCO application to the Planning Inspectorate. We submit an application for consent to the Planning Inspectorate. They check whether the application contains everything required before it is accepted. All documents and assessments produced in support of the application will be made publicly available as part of the NSIP process, with the exception of information relating to protected species.
Pre-examination
An independent Examining Authority is appointed by the Planning Inspectorate. People can register to be kept informed and take part in the examination process. The timetable for how the project will be examined is then set out.
Examination
The Examining Authority reviews all the information, asks questions, and holds public hearings where appropriate. Anyone can register to be involved. This stage helps assess and scrutinise the proposals, and is primarily a written process.
Recommendation
After examining the project, the Examining Authority writes a report summarising findings and makes a recommendation to the Secretary of State on whether the project should be approved.
Decision
The Secretary of State reviews the recommendation and makes the final decision on whether to grant consent. If approved, the project can move forward to construction once any conditions are met.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process

The project is currently at an early stage. One of the first formal steps in the EIA process is the scoping stage, which is a technical process used to identify the environmental topics that need to be assessed and the approach that should be taken to carry out those assessments.

This is a specialist stage focused on environmental assessment methods and the professional and regulatory considerations that inform them. At this stage, we have submitted the Scoping Report for Hope Moor Wind Farm to the Planning Inspectorate, which can be found on the Planning Inspectorate’s website here. The Planning Inspectorate will review this report and, having consulted with relevant authorities (such as local councils) and specialist bodies (such as the Environment Agency), provide its own opinion on the appropriate scope of the environmental assessments as part of the formal scoping process.

Alongside this process we will also engage with key environmental stakeholders, including Natural England and the Environment Agency, to help ensure that the proposed assessments meet relevant environmental standards and regulatory requirements. Further environmental studies, alongside public feedback, then inform the final Environmental Statement (ES), which is submitted as part of the Development Consent Order (DCO) application.

Speak to the team

Call our community helpline: 0800 138 9192 (Open Monday to Friday 9am – 5:30pm)

Email us at: info@hopemoor.co.uk