Wind farm firm brings plans to Brighton

The energy company behind plans to build a wind farm off the Brighton and Hove coast is holding an information day in the city next week.

E.on plans to set up a stall at the farmers’ market in Churchill Square, Brighton, from 9am to 5pm a week on Wednesday (28 September).

The company holds the exclusive rights to apply to build a wind farm between 8 to 15 miles out to sea.

It said that the site had the potential to supply about 430,000 homes with renewable electricity.

The company was due to hold an information day at Hillcrest Community Centre in Newhaven today and another in Henfield Village Hall from noon to 8pm tomorrow (Tuesday 20 September).

Another two information events are scheduled in Worthing on Wednesday (21 September).

The first is from 9am to 5pm in South Street Square near the entrance to the Guildbourne Centre, at the junction of South Street and Warwick Street.

The second is on the south side of Worthing Station from 5.30pm to 8pm.

Chris Tomlinson, E.on project developer, said: “We’ll be formally consulting the community on our draft proposals later in the year but, before we do, we’re holding public information events to introduce the project to the local community.”

The company recently submitted a planning application to install a 330ft – or 100m – meteorological mast at the site to measure wind speeds and gather other offshore environmental data.

Mr Tomlinson said: “We’re continuing to carry out environmental and technical survey work for the site.

“But our findings so far support our initial view that this is an ideal location for a wind farm.

“The offshore mast will collect valuable wind speed data that will help to confirm this as well as measuring wave heights and sea currents, which will help us to design the best possible site layout for this location.”

E.on already owns and operates three offshore wind farms off the British coast at