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Point of Ayr Cable Route Foreshore Works

Liverpool Bay CCS Limited (LBCCS), a member of the Eni SpA group (the Applicant), proposed a realignment to the cable route element of the consented Point of Ayr (PoA) Terminal and Foreshore Works. The PoA Terminal and Foreshore Works was granted planning permission in May 2024 [FUL/000246/23] by Flintshire County Council’s (FCC) planning committee and comprises new infrastructure and modifications to existing facilities at the PoA Terminal in Flintshire to operate with carbon dioxide (CO₂).

Overview

The PoA Cable Route Foreshore Works Proposed Development comprises the installation of an underground section of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) conduit under Gronant Dunes originating from the HDD Entry Pit [consented under FUL/000246/23] to a buried HDD Exit Pit at the Mean High Water Spring (MHWS) line, and burial of a combined electrical and fibre-optic cable on a new alignment across Talacre Beach and Foreshore to the Mean Low Water Spring (MLWS) line, located to the north-west of the PoA Terminal.

Following the statutory Pre-Application Consultation (PAC), which took place between 16 June and 14 July 2025, the planning application [FUL/000705/25] for the PoA Cable Route Foreshore Works Proposed Development was submitted to FCC in August 2025 and was approved by FCC’s planning committee in November 2025.

Realigned route

The marine element of the original planning application for the PoA Terminal and Foreshore Works includes installation of electrical and fibre-optic cables from the MHWS line to the New Douglas Offshore CCS Platform for which consent has been secured on 22 May 2025 under a Marine Licence (ML) application [CML2365] submitted to Natural Resources Wales’ (NWS) Marine Licencing Team.

We received stakeholder feedback on the original ML application to avoid impacts on vessel movements in and out of the Port of Mostyn. In response, we proposed a realignment of the combined electrical and fibre-optic cable. As the proposed realignment lies outside of the planning application area which was approved under planning permission FUL/000246/23, we sought consent for the new cable alignment from FCC through the submission of a new Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA) 1990 (as amended) application.

The new TCPA application sought the re-authorisation for part of the same cable installation works already consented under application FUL/000246/23, but on a new alignment that is approximately 250m further east along Talacre Beach. 

Components

The components of the PoA Cable Route Foreshore Works and associated construction activities are:

  • Construction of part of a cable conduit under the Gronant Dunes using a trenchless HDD method of installation.
  • An HDD Exit Pit accompanied by the installation of a piled cofferdam - a temporary wall made of steel sheet piles. This will create a watertight enclosure that will contain any drilling fluids to prevent their release into the environment and will be removed once construction is complete.
  • The HDD Exit Pit beach area will be reinstated on completion. 
  • The installation of a combined electrical and fibre-optic cable within the HDD conduit.
  • The simultaneous lay and burial of the cable across Talacre Beach and Foreshore is from the HDD Exit Pit to the MLWS line. 

There are no other above or below ground structures proposed as part of the Proposed Development. The construction and operation of the cables beyond the MLWS line through the marine environment is covered by a separate ML [CML2365].

Benefits

The new cable alignment offers several advantages compared with the previous alignment, including:

  1. Minimised ecological impact: the realignment has a slightly smaller seabed footprint in the inter-tidal and sub-tidal areas, due to a more direct, straighter route.
  2. Environmental advantages: the realignment of the cable laying and the repositioning of the HDD Exit Pit now places the works an additional 250m away from the Little Tern colony at Gronant Dunes. This adjustment means the works will be over 2,250m away from the colony, further minimising potential disturbance to egg laying and chick rearing during the breeding season. Additionally, the cable will be routed on the eastern edge of the Little Tern foraging and provisioning range, an area with less than 1.5% foraging distribution and activity.  
  3. Regulatory compliance: the realignment remains compliant with the Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) and Water Framework Directive (WFD), with no additional adverse effects on designated sites or water quality.
  4. Improved stakeholder coordination and reduced disturbance to Port of Mostyn: the realignment decreases impact on channel traffic as fewer vessel movements are required due to the reduced complexity of anchor movements. There has also been and will continue to be collaborative planning in place to minimise conflicts with port operations.
  5. Operational efficiencies: the simpler cable installation across the channel avoids complicated and time-consuming manoeuvre of the cable laying vessel (CLV) on anchors within the Welsh Channel.

Map

Our map shows a red line area within which the PoA Cable Route Foreshore Works [FUL/000705/25] is located. The green line shows the area consented under the PoA Terminal and Foreshore Works [FUL/000246/23].



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