Developer outlines land purchase notices in South Downs

JPCT 290714 S143111851x Rampion wind farm -photo by Steve Cobb SUS-140729-125522001

Approved earlier this month, the Rampion offshore wind farm will be visible from the coastline of Arun.

With cabling meeting land at Brooklands and weaving its way towards a substation at Bolney, the developer last week issued a notice of land it will acquire to carry out the work.

The notice details agricultural land in Upper Beeding, Sompting and Lancing, among other locations along the way.

Upper Beeding Parish Council chairman Simon Birnstingl said: “As a council we had concerns about the possible effects it might have and the disruption it may cause but as a whole, the move to sustainables is worth it.

“As long as the land is made good when the work is complete, we are quite happy with it.”

Mr Birnstingl said the council had not heard from anyone who might be affected by the purchase orders but that was not to assume everyone was content with the project.

On a general level, he said he felt sustainable energy projects were the way forward.

“The very unusual weather of last winter shows we need to be looking at sustainable energy more,” he said.

Jenny Passmore, of Church Farm, in Coombes, Lancing, said the cabling will skirt across a corner of her land but would have a fairly minimal impact.

She said: “Because it just catches the edge of our land, it is fine, as far as we are concerned.

“It is not coming through any buildings, which is a good thing.”

Mrs Passmore added that although she loved the uninterrupted sea views, an offshore wind farm was more appealing than one on the South Downs and agreed with Mr Birnstingl that ‘green’ energy needed to be considered more.

Construction on the 175-turbine project is scheduled to begin in 2015, with power expected to be first produced in 2018 or 2019.

It was given the green light by the Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey, after a lengthy consultation process with residents and local authorities.

The 700 megawatt farm could create power for up to 450,000 homes and generate a total of £2 billion for the UK economy, according to developers E.ON’s projections.