Public invited to have say on renewable energy proposals
August 2, 2021
Vicki Colwell, Principal Planning Officer, gives an update on proposals for a new renewable energy scheme that is now out for public consultation.
As well as dealing with thousands of planning applications each year, we are also involved in several major national projects for road improvements, renewable energy and other infrastructure.
These Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) are examined by the Planning Inspectorate and decided by the Secretary of State.
The Authority normally acts as ‘statutory body’, which seeks to influence the proposals and ensure the National Park’s purposes and duty are being upheld as the scheme develops.
We’ve been able to have an impact to achieve the best possible outcomes for conservation and biodiversity in previous schemes, such as Rampion, the south coast’s first wind farm.
Amid plans for a new pipeline to deliver fuel to Heathrow Airport that ran through the National Park, the Authority managed to secure improvements to the final route. This meant that important cultural assets were avoided, trees and hedgerows were better protected, and we also secured a community fund to deliver appropriate mitigation projects.
One next major infrastructure project to consider will be Rampion 2, a proposal for a new offshore wind farm of up to 116 turbines between 1.5 and 2.3 times higher than the existing array. The formal public consultation has just begun and will run until 16 September.
As well as the turbines themselves, the proposal also includes an onshore underground cable that would enter the National Park to the east of Arundel and exit near Wiston, before continuing to a substation at Bolney.
Full details of the proposals and how to comment can be found at www.rampion2.com/consultation
The SDNPA will be providing a formal response to this consultation in due course.
Other NSIPs we are also currently involved with include proposals at the M3 junction 9, where the consultation has recently closed, and works at the A27 in Arundel.
