Mixed feelings over plans to extend Rampion wind farm
Residents have their say over project’s expansion plans
Residents have been having their say on the new wind farm proposals off the West Sussex coast.
Some have echoed concerns from campaigners that Rampion 2 would ‘deter tourists’, whilst others argued the opposite.
Jasmin Barnicoat wrote on Twitter: “If anything it has given something extra to the area with people wanting to go on the wind farm tour boats.
“I’ve never heard of someone not visiting the area because of the wind farm?!”
Commenting on Facebook, Helen Redfern said the turbines are ‘great’, adding: “They’re the future!
“They have them all over the hills in Cornwall and it doesn’t stop tourists.”
Suzanne James wrote: “They look fabulous and seeing something positive on the horizon line should give us hope.”
Simon Redhead agreed. He said: “We are in a climate crisis. We need to lose fossil fuel power stations within four years!
“These provide clean energy. I love them, they don’t ruin the view.”
Emma Cameron argued that ‘we should be celebrating’ these plans, adding: “We desperately need more clean energy to help bring down carbon emissions, otherwise we’re heading for even worse climate chaos.”
Carolyn Harrison, on the contrary, said the turbines are ‘an eyesore already’ and it ‘ruins the beauty of the sea and horizon view’.
Janice Betson shared the view that the turbines are ‘eyesores’, whilst also being ‘lethal for birds’.
Should Rampion 2 achieve consent, construction could start around 2025/26 with the wind farm fully operational before the end of the decade.
Rampion explained that, due to the ‘east-west linear nature of the South Downs’, there is ‘no way of avoiding’ the national park with the cable route.
A spokesman for the developers added: “However, the construction impact is temporary as is evidenced from the successful reinstatement of Rampion’s cable route, so the land makes a full recovery and the project team work with landowners and farmers to agree reinstatement strategies for their land.
The cable route is also routed to avoid or mitigate impacts on environmental designations, such as micrositing around areas of ancient woodland.”
Rampion said that an ‘Area of Search’, eight miles off the Sussex coast, has been assessed by renewable energy producer RWE for a maximum of up to 116 turbines – the same number as the existing Rampion Wind Farm but using the latest turbine technology.
This means that the Rampion 2 Wind Farm could create up to three times the amount of power.
The spokesman continued: “The UK government has formally declared a climate emergency and has set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 68 per cent compared to 1990 levels, by the end of this decade.
“To help meet this overarching target, the government has set a target to quadruple offshore wind capacity by 2030.”