Advice to Chris Goldthorpe
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- From
- Chris Goldthorpe
- Date advice given
- 4 October 2013
- Enquiry type
I write to express my concerns about this proposed wind farm.
My first concern is that this wind farm will destroy the landscape and one for the best view in England not just for now but forever. You will be able to see this wind farm from a great distant as it is to be built in an area overlooked from miles of cliffs and hills including designated sites such as the two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and England's only natural World Heritage site. Landside installations and cable routes to support the wind farm will also have a detrimental effect on the landscape.
Why don?t you follow Government recommendations and common European practice and site this wind farm further offshore?
We run the risk of destroying the local economies that rely on much on tourism.
Would people still come to the beach in this area if all they could see is a wind farm?
Why would we want to degrade a highly valuable national asset and further risk a fragile tourist industry which is based on the area's wonderful natural environment?
There is also a risk to safety in one of the UK's busiest marine leisure areas as well as an impact on the local ecology and environment effecting fish, marine mammals, migrating and breeding birds, coastal habitats, noise, light pollution, changes in weather and wave patterns, underwater noise.
I hope you will do your best to see that the concerns raised by myself and others are taken on board and are not ignored which is usually the case.
I await your comments.
Advice given
The Navitus Bay Offshore Wind Park application is yet to be formally submitted to the Planning Inspectorate and is currently at the 'pre-application' stage of the process for making decisions on nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) under the Planning Act 2008 (the PA2008) regime. The developer currently anticipates that the application will be submitted in Quarter 1 2014. On submission, the Inspectorate will have a 28 day period within which to decide whether or not the application meets the standards required to be formally accepted for Examination. Until this decision is made, your point of contact in relation to the proposed scheme should be the developer - Navitus Bay Development Limited - on the following details: info@navitusbay.com or 01926671592.
Section 47 of the PA2008 places a statutory requirement on developers to consult local communities before submitting to the Inspectorate an application for an order granting development consent. Developers must create and publish a 'Statement of Community Consultation' (SoCC), in consultation with the relevant local authorities, which sets out how the they intend to consult the local community. Developers are required to conduct their consultation as set out in the published SoCC, and to demonstrate how they have had regard to any responses received. Developers should then produce and submit to the Inspectorate a 'Consultation Report', as part of the application, which will amongst other things explain how they have consulted the local community in line with their SoCC.
Navitus Bay Development Limited have a number of phases of community consultation, with the final phase closing on 11 October 2013. I therefore advise submitting your concerns to the developer before the final phase of consultation closes.
If the application is accepted for Examination, the PA2008 establishes the opportunity for individuals, organisations and other groups to register as ?interested parties? by completing a registration form and submitting a 'Relevant Representation'. Relevant Representation forms can be completed online, and will be available on the project webpages of the Planning Portal, here: http://infrastructure.planningportal.gov.uk/projects/south-east/navitus-bay-wind-park-formerly-isle-of-wight/. It is also possible to call the Inspectorate?s customer service desk on 0303 444 5000 to request a paper copy of the registration form. The developer will advertise when and how long the period for registration will be open; which must be a minimum of 28 days.
Relevant Representations should include whether an individual, organisation or other group supports or opposes a scheme and highlight any issues that they may wish to make further detailed representations on later in the Examination process. All Relevant Representations will be read by the appointed Examining Authority, and in conjunction with its reading of the application documents, will help to inform its 'Initial Assessment of Principal Issues'. If you choose to register to become an interested party, you can include your concerns below in your Relevant Representation. By registering as an interested party with the Inspectorate, you will be kept informed of the Examination by either email or post and be invited to engage in the process further by making written representations (and oral representations at any hearings) over the course of a statutory 6 month Examination period.
The Inspectorate has produced a suite of advice notes to help provide an overview of the PA2008 process and explain how to get involved. These are available at the following links:
Advice note 8.1: How the process works
Advice note 8.2: Responding to the developer's pre-application consultation
Advice note 8.3: How to register and become an interested party in an application
Advice note 8.4: Influencing how an application will be examined - the Preliminary Meeting
Advice note 8.5: Participating in the examination
I hope you have found this information useful, please contact me on the details below if you wish to discuss this matter further.