PLANS to build a wind farm off the East Sussex coast have been put forward for formal consultation.
Energy company E.ON has unveiled plans to build up to 195 wind turbines between 8 and 15 miles and out to sea.
The Rampion Offshore Wind Farm would be easily visible from the beaches of Brighton and Hove.
E.ON won the licence, which is one of nine sites around the UK earmarked for offshore wind farms, in January 2010.
It said the Rampion wind farm would create enough renewable electricity to power about 450,000 homes.
Thatâs more than two-thirds of the homes in the whole of Sussex, including the city of Brighton and Hove.
Local communities are now being invited to attend a series of public exhibitions to find out more about the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm, as the development enters its formal community consultation phase.
Chris Tomlinson, E.ON Development Manager for the project, said: We're delighted to be able to present our draft proposals for the Rampion project. I've been really encouraged by the response we've had to the development so far and I'm excited to now be able to discuss the project in more detail with the local community and hear their views.â
Chris, continued: With a population of over 1.5million, Sussex has a huge demand for electricity and the Rampion wind farm offers a unique opportunity for us to make a valuable contribution to securing our electricity supplies for the future."
However, the planned wind farm initially raised some concerns with local residents about the effect that it may have on the South Downs National Park.
It is thought that the underground cabling system for the wind farm may have a harmful impact on the environment of the Downs, something the energy suppliers are currently looking into.
Rampion has also received much support from local people and environmental organisations.
With Brighton and Hove being a city focussed on eco-living, the wind farm will provide the city with a very green and noiseless source of energy, and helping to reducing carbon emissions.
Brightonâs councillors and MPs believe that the wind farm will be excellent for the local economy too, producing jobs and helping the City to become less dependent on far flung oil pipelines.
Public information events will be held at:
- Brighton, Saturday 18 February, 10am-6pm, at the Brighton Unitarian Church, New Road, BN1 1UF.
- Hove, Saturday 10 March, 10am-6pm, St Andrew Old Church Hall, Church Road, BN3 2AD.
The consultation runs until 6 May.
If you can not attend an exhibition, you can also have your say by completing and returning a consultation questionnaire online at eon-uk.com/rampion, or by post to FREEPOST RAMPION OFFSHORE WIND FARM.
Article courtesy of Love Brighton, the free weekly paper for Brighton and Hove.
