'Cables don’t stay buried’ – Saunton Sands campaigners will gather to highlight ‘cable chaos’ this weekend

A visual reminder of just where the offshore power cables from the White Cross windfarm will go is to be spelled out on Saunton beach on Saturday (June 21) as campaigners and surfers gather to warn of ‘cable chaos’.

With permission granted by North Devon Council for White Cross to make landfall at Saunton Sands for cables to connect its test offshore windfarm, campaign group Save Our Sands (SOS) continues to raise awareness and oppose the scheme.

The cables will run underground at Saunton and then go under a variety of highly protected areas including the estuary and world-renowned biosphere before connecting to a new sub-station at Yelland.

This Saturday at 10am, SOS has arranged for a line of surfers and bodyboarders on the beach, stretching from near the beach huts and out to sea, some with letters on their boards to spell out ‘Cable Chaos’.

The group will be joined by veteran pro surfer Eric Davies, who has surfed at Saunton for more than 55 years.

Helen Cooper of SOS said the living surf line would illustrate the cable route from around the high tide line and out to sea.

She added: “All those who enjoy the sea and beach are welcome to come down and join us as we challenge the developer’s narrative that the cable or cables installation will be temporary and not cause significant disruption, either in the initial construction phase or through ongoing maintenance.

“Power cables do re-emerge on sandy beaches. And when they do the operation to rebury them can and does cause significant disruption and loss of amenity to beach users.

“At this stage we do not even know if there will be one cable or two.”

In response a spokesperson from the White Cross Offshore Windfarm said: "The White Cross Offshore Windfarm project has undertaken a range of rigorous environmental impact assessment processes, the results of which were submitted to North Devon Council and the Marine Management Organisation as part of our consent applications.

"These conclude that there will be no effect on Saunton Sands once the work is complete. The cable will be safely buried underground and will not be visible."

Ms Cooper said as well as potential disruption, the group were concerned there could be some health risks from the cabling.

She said: “What we do know is that high voltage cables such as these 132kv power lines generate not just heat but also electromagnetic fields which can interfere with pacemakers and cochlear implants, amongst other things.

“So it’s not just the potential for re-burial which concerns us, but the potentially negative health implications for beach users if these cables come ashore at the busiest point of the beach.

“Currently they are due to be laid at only 1.5 metre depth, which means people sunbathing or staying on the beach for the day, or surfing for long periods, might be exposed to unnecessary and avoidable risk.”

White Cross has said a trenchless drilling method will be used in the most sensitive sites and the work will be carried out in sections.

At the planning meeting which approved the scheme, White Cross project director Al Rayner said the windfarm would generate enough energy to power 135,000 homes, more than three times the population of North Devon.

He said they had worked hard to ensure the proposals were sensitive to the environment, taking steps to minimise disturbance during construction.

This included avoiding any negative impact on the overwintering bird population, uninterrupted access to Saunton Sands beach, and ensuring cables would be fully hidden along the route.

But Helen Cooper urged: “We would ask everyone who would like to ‘StandUp4Saunton’ to join us at 10am on the beach as we send our message to White Cross - that their plans have the potential to cause #CableChaos - for all the reasons given.”

The Gazette has approached White Cross for further comment on the cable claims.