Wind farm extension not currently supported by Bognor Regis Town Council

Plans to extend the Rampion Wind Farm are not currently supported by Bognor Regis Town Council (BRTC).
View of the existing turbines from the shore near Worthing. Pic Steve Robards SR2102131 SUS-210215-192352001View of the existing turbines from the shore near Worthing. Pic Steve Robards SR2102131 SUS-210215-192352001
View of the existing turbines from the shore near Worthing. Pic Steve Robards SR2102131 SUS-210215-192352001

An informal consultation is currently being held before in depth plans are submitted.

The current area of search for a possible extension stretches as far as Bognor Regis.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Meanwhile cables connecting the turbines to the national grid could make landfall at Climping beach, connecting via an underground route to the substation at Bolney in Mid Sussex.

Back in February, the community engagement and environment committee recommended that BTRC did not support the Rampion 2 project.

However at a full council meeting on Monday (March 8), some members felt they should be backing the wind farm’s extension.

Steve Goodheart (Ind, Hotham) said: “We should be doing whatever we can to fight this climate emergency.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Meanwhile Matt Stanley (LDem, Marine) pointed out how off-shore wind farms feature prominently in the government’s plans for a green industrial revolution.

He described how organisations such as the RSPB generally support off-shore wind farms unless there are specific reasons not to such as placement.

He said: “Personally I think the council should be taking a similar sort of stance that we should be supportive unless there’s a reason not to be and I have not seen a reason not to.”

In particular Mr Stanley felt there was no evidence to suggest off-shore wind farms have a negative impact on tourism.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He added: “I would like to think as a council, unless we had facts to back up our concerns and reasons to object, that we would give this project the benefit of the doubt for the time being.”

Wayne Smith (Ind, Hotham), chairman of the community engagement and environment committee, said they felt there were currently too many ‘grey areas’ and not enough information available, but there was nothing to stop the town council revisiting its decision down the line.

But Adam Cunard (Ind, Hatherleigh) described how the committee had expressed reservations about the size and scale of the turbines, proximity to the shore at Bognor and concerns about coastal erosion of the seabed.

By a narrow margin, the town council agreed not to support the Rampion 2 project ‘at this time’ so as to leave the door ‘open slightly’ in the words of Sandra Daniells (Ind, Pevensey).

To find out more visit Rampion’s website.