North Devon Wind Farm: New environmental measures revealed

Developers behind controversial plans for cabling work at Saunton Sands for a wind farm 50 kilometres off the North Devon coast will be sharing new information with the public at two open days later this month.

The information relating to the impact on the environment and the community during construction works has been requested by North Devon Council to allow the application to proceed.

The open days will take place in Braunton and Instow on 21 and 22 May.

The plan for White Cross Offshore Windfarm Ltd was put on hold last December because of a lack of detail. 

The council had asked the developer to formally withdraw the application but White Cross asked for an extension of time instead.

It said it would be providing information and clarification to address the objections and concerns raised through the initial consultation process where 500 people expressed views against the plans.

However, North Devon Council wrote again to the applicant in March after the requested information failed to come forward. 

It has now set another deadline of 1 November 2024 for the plan to be determined.

The developer said this week the planning application was “continuing to progress.”

“White Cross Offshore Wind Farm has undertaken further assessments in a number of areas and will be submitting additional information to North Devon Council,” it said.

“We will be sharing this additional information with the community at the events on 21 and 22 May.”

The information will include details of how White Cross intends to protect the environment during the work, it said.

The cables would run underground from surfing beach Saunton Sands then under the golf course before turning south, going under the Taw Estuary and connecting to the grid at East Yelland.

Opponents say the work would damage important wildlife habitats for rare bats and birds in the North Devon Coast National Landscape and several sites of special scientific interest (SSSI), and destroy the tourism industry the area relies on.

 “Taking care of the environment around Saunton Sands, Braunton and East Yelland is a top priority for us,” said White Cross.

“It’s important that we work closely with the community while we are connecting the turbines to the grid and that we continue to listen and carefully consider the views of local people to take account of their concerns.

“We also understand how important the tourist industry is in Devon, and we will be scheduling as much work as we can outside of the busy summer months.”

North Devon Council said: “The developers are in the process of preparing a number of technical reports and an addendum to the environmental statement following a formal request for further information from the local planning authority on 4 March 2024.

 “We are awaiting the formal submission of this information, of which the final date is not yet known, however, we have agreed a formal extension of time to the current application of 1 November 2024 which we anticipate would deal with the submission, reconsultation and subsequent consideration of the information by the case officer and consideration at committee.”

At a public meeting in Braunton last October the community heard that 40 percent of the Saunton Sands beach car park would become a ‘work hub’  for up to two years and as many as 90 HGV vehicles per day are expected through the village’s narrow streets.

The 100 megawatts wind farm site, which is a test and demonstration site for offshore wind in the Celtic Sea, is expected to provide enough energy to power 135,000 households.

A spokesperson for the project said this technology had the potential to provide a source of affordable and secure energy to people and businesses while supporting the UK’s progress towards net zero.

The open events will be held on Tuesday 21 May at Braunton Parish Hall, 5 Chaloners Road, Braunton EX33 2ES from 11am to 4pm and Isaac Hall, Braunton Academy, Barton Lane, Braunton EX33 2BP between 6pm and 8pm.

And on Wednesday 22 May at North Devon Cricket Club, the Pavilion Sandhills, Instow EX39 4LF between 11am and 6.30pm.

For those unable to attend the events, all the information will be available on the website https://whitecrossoffshorewind.com after the events.