Plans for the next stage of the Mooir Vannin Offshore Wind Farm application have been set out, with a series of public meetings and hearings scheduled for May.

The independent Examining Body has confirmed that all events will take place at the Comis Golf Club on the outskirts of Douglas, with opportunities for members of the public to attend and take part in person or virtually.

A public meeting is due to be held on Monday, May 11 at 6pm, alongside a series of Specific Issue Hearings running across four consecutive days.

The hearings will focus on key aspects of the proposed development, including shipping and navigation, landscape and visual impact, environmental assessment and marine infrastructure consent.

Proceedings will begin on Monday, May 11 with a Specific Issue Hearing at 10am covering shipping, navigation and other effects at sea, followed by the public meeting later that evening. Further hearings will then take place on Tuesday, May 12 focusing on landscape and visual impact, Wednesday, May 13 on environmental assessment, and Thursday, May 14 on marine infrastructure consent, all starting at 10am.

The Mooir Vannin project has already undergone changes following a public consultation process.

Last year, developer Ørsted confirmed it would reduce the maximum size of the offshore array area by around 17% in response to feedback, including cutting parts of the northwest corner and southern boundary.

The number of turbines has also been reduced from 100 to 87, while the proposed height has been lowered from 389 metres to 350 metres. The number of offshore platforms has been cut from five to three.

Ørsted said the changes were intended to reduce visual impact along the east coast, as well as lessen potential effects on shipping routes and avoid key fishing grounds. Adjustments were also made to turbine blade height to reduce risks to birds.

People wishing to attend the upcoming hearings are being encouraged to register in advance, either online via the Marine Infrastructure Planning website, by email or by post.

Those registering will be asked whether they intend to attend in person or join remotely via Microsoft Teams, and to indicate which agenda items they wish to speak on. Registration will ensure participants are allocated a timeslot to speak at the public meeting and may also provide opportunities to contribute during the hearings.

Guidance on how to take part in the examination process has also been published and is available online, including information on how the hearings are structured and how members of the public can submit representations.

For those unable to attend, proceedings will be livestreamed on YouTube, with recordings to be published afterwards online.

Members of the public can also view recordings and transcripts from earlier stages of the process, including the preliminary meeting and previous hearings, which remain available online.

The Mooir Vannin application is being considered under the Marine Infrastructure Management Act 2016, which sets out the statutory process for large-scale marine developments and how such proposals are assessed.

Officials have encouraged anyone with an interest in the proposal to review the available material and take part, with public input forming a key part of the examination process before any final decision is made.

A final recommendation will be made once all evidence has been considered.