September 12, 2006
U.K.
U.K.
The consortium planning to build the world’s largest offshore wind farm is appealing against the refusal of permission for an onshore substation.
The proposed substation at Cleve Hill, Graveney, Kent, forms part of the £1.5bn London Array scheme to site 270 wind turbines off the Thanet coast.
Swale Borough Council refused planning consent in June, citing environmental impact as the reason.
Andrew Murfin, of London Array, said Cleve Hill remained the best location.
Impact on community
“We firmly believe this is an excellent project, and the Cleve Hill remains the only location that minimises environmental concerns while meeting the necessary technical criteria for such a critical element of the project,” he said.
The substation is needed to bring the electricity ashore to feed into the national grid.
If built, it would supply enough clean energy to meet the electricity consumption of every house in Kent and East Sussex.
Mark Bilsborough, of Swale Borough Council, said on Tuesday that although it was an exciting project and that Swale was not against change, significant local concerns remained.
‘Concerns addressed’
He said 60 heavy lorry movements a day for five years through a small village on winding country lanes “was too much for a small rural community to take”.
He said: “If London Array can satisfy the local community in Graveney that the disruption caused by such a major infrastructure will be minimised – and that the compensation package they have put together is adequate – then they will have a much better chance of getting their project approved.”
London Array said it had now amended its proposals, after listening to local residents, to address concerns over the impact of construction traffic and the visual impact of the substation.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2006/09/12/appeal-over-wind-farm-substation/