| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Surfers facing smaller waves
Credit: By David Newble | August 18, 2013 | Isle of Wight County Press | www.iwcp.co.uk ~~
Wave heights at Compton Bay and Freshwater Bay could be reduced by nearly ten per cent if the Navitus Bay windfarm is built, surfers have been told.
However, developers of the wind farm, set to be built 13.9km off the south west of the Isle of Wight, told a meeting of the Isle of Wight’s surfing community the reduction was a worst-case scenario.
Around 20 surfers, as well as representatives of the campaign group, Surfers Against Sewage, attended the consultation meeting at the Lakeside Hotel, Wootton Bridge, on Wednesday.
During the meeting, fears were also raised sediment could build up around the bases of the giant turbines, altering the tidal flows.
Dr David Lambkin, from ABP Marine Environmental Research, which produced a study on the effects of the windfarm, said wave heights could reduce by 9.6 per cent.
But he said: “In our experience, if you were standing on the beach looking at the waves, you would not be able to measure the difference as to whether the wind farm was there or not.”
Speaking after the meeting, surfer Gyles Pugh-Panther said: “I was concerned there would be a far larger impact.”
Fellow surfer Sam Wanstall added: “I don’t think anyone is against the wind farm. My gut feeling is the developers were very reasonable and they do seem to know what they are talking about.”
However, Matt Harwood, the Isle of Wight representative for Surfers Against Sewage, said there were mixed feelings in the surfing community about the development.
“From a personal perspective, a ten per cent reduction in a worse-case scenario is something I could live with,” he said.
A further consultation meeting about Navitus Bay is set to be held in Newport on September 14. The venue is to be confirmed.
This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.
The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.
| Wind Watch relies entirely on User Contributions |
 (via Stripe) |
 (via Paypal) |
Share:
[ Short URL: https://wind-watch.org/news/?p=51589 ]
