Council asks for White Cross wind farm cable plan to be withdrawn

Developers behind the controversial bid to install cables at Saunton Sands for the proposed White Cross offshore wind farm have refused to withdraw the application despite being asked by North Devon Council.

A council statement said following an initial review of the plan, its accompanying environmental impact statement and the responses of consultees and the public, it had written to the applicant White Cross Offshore Windfarm Ltd to ask for the formal withdrawal of the onshore cable application.

The wind farm itself would be some 50 kilometres offshore and generate enough energy to power 135,000 homes. It is a joint venture between Flotation Energy and Cobra, but the proposals to lay underground electrical cabling from Saunton beach car park to a sub station at Yelland have provoked fury among local people.

There are fears the huge project would cause major harm to the landscape and wildlife of the North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, have a serious impact on tourism and cause bad disruption to local roads and nearby Braunton with dozens of journeys by heavy lorries to and from the project site every day.

The application has raised hundreds of objections in the area, with many people saying the wind farm project could ‘not have chosen a worse site’ for its landfall and asked why other routes were not chosen instead.

A public meeting in October heard the turbine cables would run under Saunton beach car park, Braunton Burrows and Saunton Golf Club, among other sensitive areas enroute to Yelland.

In its statement on Wednesday (December 20) North Devon Council said it had written to the applicant on December 5 requesting a formal withdrawal.

It went on: “Having considered our request, the applicant has declined to withdraw and intends to submit further information and clarification to address the objections and concerns raised through the consultation process.

“As planning authority, we will now seek to agree an appropriate extension of time with the applicant to allow for a further consultation period and the determination of the application.”

Floatation Energy has held three rounds of public consultations and had previously said it would mitigate the effects of traffic and environment damage.

It said planned to build a new haulage road to the site, implement a traffic management plan and provide a biodiversity net gain of 10 per cent.

The company has said other routes had been investigated, but were opposed by Natural England and other organisations concerned about the sensitivity of the area.

North Devon residents had also criticised the company’s consultation process, claiming it was ‘inadequate’. One person called it ‘chaotic’.

The North Devon Gazette contacted Flotation Energy for comment on Thursday (December 21) but has yet to receive a response.