Adur councillor warns over visual impact of turbines  

Credit:  Shoreham Herald, www.shorehamherald.co.uk 25 February 2012 ~~

Residents need to be aware of the “significant visual impact” of a wind farm, according to a councillor.

Ben Stride, who represents Shoreham Beach Residents’ Association on Adur District Council, has urged residents to attend one of a series of consultation sessions, on E.on’s plans to build the facility about 13 kilometres off the Sussex coast.

“I was not aware of just how visible the turbines will be from Shoreham Beach,” he said.

“There will be a significant visual impact.”

He added the facility, which E.on plans to start constructing in the next two years, would be seen from Beachy Head to Bognor Regis.

“Residents of Shoreham Beach, which would be one of the closest points to it, I don’t think will be very happy, and so I am encouraging everyone to go along to the public consultation meetings, to have a look at the plans,” he said.

The consultation process itself, which will see meetings held across Sussex, was flawed, added Mr Stride.

“Personally, I think this has been foist upon us by central government. I do not think we are in a position to argue for or against it,” he said.

Worthing will play host to one of 12 public consultation sessions today (Saturday, February 25), from 10am to 6pm at St Paul’s Centre, Main Hall, Chapel Road.

Other sessions will be held at the Steyning Centre, from noon to 8pm on Wednesday (February 29), and at the Holmbush Centre, Shoreham, from noon to 8pm on March 5.

An E.on spokesman said: “The site could accommodate an installed electrical capacity of up to 700MW, which E.ON estimates could generate enough electricity to supply the equivalent of around 450,000 homes.

“That’s more than two-thirds of the homes in the whole of Sussex, including the city of Brighton and Hove.” For more information, go to www.eon-uk.com/rampion.