July 15, 2013
England

Lincolnshire County Council vows to fight against 288-turbine Triton Knoll offshore wind farm

By Sam Kinnaird | Louth Leader | Published on 15/07/2013 | www.louthleader.co.uk

Lincolnshire County Council says it will ‘continue to fight’ against the onshore aspect of the £3.6billion Triton Knoll wind farm which has been given the go ahead for 20 miles off Mablethorpe’s coast.

Following a decision to grant development consent to the Tritton Knoll wind farm development, Lincolnshire County Council has reiterated its opposition to plans to house the onshore electrical infrastructure in Lincolnshire.

And although Lincolnshire County Council is not opposed to the wind farm itself it is angry at plans to drive ‘miles and miles’ of electrical cabling from the turbines through the county.

This include proposals to bring the cables ashore at the Anderby Creek beauty spot, and build a ‘substation’ on the outskirts of Skegness, before running the lines down to Bicker Fen near Boston.

Colin Davie, LCC’s Executive Member for Economic Development, said: “We do not object to the to the wind farm itself, but we do object to the miles and miles of cabling that will need to be routed through Lincolnshire as it will cause huge disruption to local people, and to our tourism industry.”

The government last week gave the go ahead for the 288-turbine 1,200MW wind farm which is set to power up to 900,000 homes.

Hundreds of jobs are set to be created in Lincolnshire and Norfolk by the RWE Npower Renewables project.

“In addition, we feel that the electrical compound proposed for Skegness and huge substation proposed for Bicker could all be built at Killingholme without causing any harm to people or the local economy,” Coun Davie continued.

“Lincolnshire County Council has met with both the National Grid and the developers, RWE, to voice its opposition.

“This project will cost £3.6billion to deliver – much of which will be subsidised by the British taxpayer.

“For a project of this scale, developers and planners have a duty to listen to our communities. Cost should not be a factor.

“I, alongside my colleagues at the county council, will continue to fight for a solution which suits both the needs of the developer and the wishes of local people.”


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/07/15/lincolnshire-county-council-vows-to-fight-against-288-turbine-triton-knoll-offshore-wind-farm/