Plans for wind farm off Brighton and Hove to go on show

Plans for a wind farm in the sea off Brighton and Hove will go on display within weeks.

E.on, the company behind the Rampion offshore wind farm proposal, is to hold a series of public exhibitions.

The exhibitions form part of the formal consultation being carried out by E.on before it submits a planning application in the autumn.

The company plans to install a meteorological mast on the site to measure wind speeds, wave heights, sea currents and other offshore environmental data in the coming weeks.

Chris Tomlinson, the project development manager, said: “We’re delighted to be able to present our draft proposals for the Rampion project.

“I’ve been really encouraged by the response we’ve had to the development so far and I’m excited to now be able to discuss the project in more detail with the local community and hear their views.”

He said that the proposed wind farm would be about eight miles off the coast at its nearest point and should be visible from Brighton and Hove on a clear day. It will occupy an area south of Newhaven to Worthing.

It is expected to include between 100 and 195 turbines, depending on the model used.

E.on said that the site could accommodate an installed electrical capacity of up to 700MW.

The company estimates that the turbines could generate enough electricity to supply about 450,000 homes or more than two thirds of the homes in the whole of Sussex, including Brighton and Hove.

Mr Tomlinson said: “With a population of over 1.5 million, Sussex has a huge demand for electricity and the Rampion wind farm offers a unique opportunity for us to make a valuable contribution to securing our electricity supplies for the future.”

He said that the community consultation for the project would run from next Monday (13 February) until Sunday 6 May.

A public exhibitions is due to be held at the Brighton Unitarian Church in New Road from 10am to 6pm on Saturday 18 February.

And the exhibition is due to take place at St Andrew’s Old Church Hall in Church Road, Hove, from 10am to 6pm on Saturday 10 March.

The exhibition will also be held at the Meridian Centre in Peacehaven, Holmbush in Shoreham and in eight other towns and villages around the county.

Consultation questionnaires will be available at the exhibitions or online at eon-uk.com/rampion.

The company has a team handling post, emails and phone calls about the project at Freepost Rampion Offshore Wind Farm, rampion@eon.com and 01273 694876 respectively.

E.on already runs 21 wind farms. They include three offshore wind farms in British waters, near Blyth in Northumberland, Scroby Sands off the coast of Great Yarmouth and Robin Rigg in the Solway Firth.

The company is building the Humber Gateway offshore wind farm and is a partner in the London Array, which will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm when built.

It also has a number of offshore wind projects already in operation across Europe.