Yarmouth has been named as one of three ports on a shortlist of possible local ports for the Navitus Bay off-shore wind farm project.
The West Wight town is up against Poole and Portland as a contender to host the wind park’s operations and maintenance functions should the scheme get planning approval.
The organisation say that if the project for 218 wind turbines is granted planning permission, it could generate enough electricity to power up to 790,000 homes each year.
Drop-in sessions critcised
Following the consultation that took place earlier this year and as a precursor to the next round of consultation in September, those behind the project are holding a series of drop-in sessions for members of the public to find out more about the development.
The drop-in sessions being held in Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have not been particularly well-received so far.
David Lloyd, a member of Challenge Navitus, told the BBC the consultation was “a complete waste of time” and described it as a “box ticking exercise”.
“They hired out a church hall in Swanage from 9am to midday, when most people are at work,” he said. “There were no displays, just two people and chairs.”
Unsworth: “Committed to communicating honestly and openly with members of the public”
Mike Unsworth, Project Director of Navitus Bay, said:
“Navitus Bay is committed to communicating honestly and openly with members of the public to ensure that they are given as much information as possible about the proposed wind park, which will deliver significant economic benefits to the local community.
“We have been carrying out comprehensive consultation with the community since 2010. As a result of the feedback we have gathered to date, we have scaled back the project and moved the northern boundary further away from the shore.
“We are still listening and will continue to act on the feedback we receive. We would therefore encourage as many people as possible to come to these sessions to hear more about our proposals and to make their views known.”
Image: Cristian Bortes under CC BY 2.0
