The government has approved a non‑material change to the Norfolk Boreas Offshore Wind Farm consent, confirming updated rules for compensation within the Haisborough, Hammond and Winterton Special Area of Conservation (HHW SAC). The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero recorded the decision on 19 December 2025.

Legally, the Order names Norfolk Boreas Limited as the undertaker, adds a definition for Defra, corrects several geospatial coordinates, and updates Schedule 19 to spell out how seabed recovery will be planned and evidenced. In practical terms, this means clearer duties on the developer to plan and report how benthic habitats are improved during and after cable installation.

The amendment formalises a benthic implementation and monitoring plan (BIMP) overseen with input from a benthic steering group. That structure sits alongside previously approved BIMP work for Norfolk Boreas and keeps Natural England and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) closely involved as evidence is gathered and plans are refined.

A key shift is how compensation can be delivered if on‑the‑seabed actions underperform. If the required marine debris removal cannot be completed, the undertaker may seek approval to make a Marine Recovery Fund Payment instead, with the Secretary of State deciding on principle and Defra confirming the fund can be used and the sums due. Once approved, an implementation and monitoring plan must still be signed off before works proceed.

Reporting is designed to be results‑based. The Order requires regular submissions to the Secretary of State, the MMO and the statutory nature conservation body, with corrective proposals if monitoring shows the measures are not working as intended. Completion reports must then be provided within 12 months of finishing BIMP activities. This tightens accountability while giving room to adjust.

Why this protected area matters is clear in the science. JNCC describes HHW SAC as a 1,467.59 km² mosaic of mobile sandbanks (Annex I habitat 1110) and reef (H1170), including Sabellaria spinulosa tube‑worm reefs. These features can be sensitive to cable installation and protection if not carefully managed, which is why precautionary management is advised.

The new funding route is now live nationally. The Energy Act 2023 enabled the Marine Recovery Fund and the Marine Recovery Funds Regulations 2025 brought it into force on 17 December 2025. Defra’s guidance sets out how developers apply, reserve strategic compensatory measures and pay fees, with oversight by the fund operator.

For offshore wind, the direction is towards fewer stand‑alone fixes and more strategic nature recovery. Defra’s consultation response explains the fund is industry‑financed to speed consenting while maintaining protections for marine protected areas. Procurement guidance, forms for statutory nature conservation advice and charging bands are published to make the system predictable.

Scale matters too. Norfolk Boreas forms part of a 4.2 GW Norfolk zone alongside Norfolk Vanguard East and West. RWE completed the acquisition of the three projects from Vattenfall in March 2024, with each wind farm planned at 1.4 GW and key permits already in place-context for why a streamlined, science‑led compensation pathway is valuable.