Navitus Bay wind farm information, See proposed offshore wind turbines

Challenge the Navitus Bay Wind Farm Proposal 

This development was refused and will not go ahead. We are leaving this website live for reference purposes.

Background to the Proposal.

The coast from Purbeck in Dorset to the south of the Isle of Wight surrounding Poole Bay is rightly valued. Expansive views escape the intrusion of man-made structures, and it is a popular destination for those wanting to “get away from it all”. That could change if the Navitus Bay offshore wind farm is built by Dutch & French companies, Eneco & EDF (Navitus Bay Development Limited) as it is currently proposed.
This offshore wind farm would be the world's biggest if it were operating today.  It would lie between Purbeck and the Isle of Wight, to the south of a line from St. Aldhelm's Head to St. Catherine's Point. It would occupy an area bigger than Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch put together and the developer has applied for consent to construct up to 194 turbines.  Turbines up to 200m (656ft) tall are currently planned, taller than Salisbury Cathedral, the Bournemouth Eye or the Spinnaker Tower. The wind farm would be highly visible from all around the region, but especially from Durlston, Swanage, Sandbanks, Bournemouth, Hengistbury Head and the Needles area of the Isle of Wight.   It would be:
  • Embedded in a valuable national asset with an economy supported by its natural beauty and the sea
  • Overlooked by two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a National Park
  • Close to England’s only natural World Heritage Site
  • Closer than government recommendations for coasts of high sensitivity
  • Closer than similar developments in Europe
  • In the mouth of a bay, overlooked by hills and cliffs
  • On an important international bird migration route
  • In an area of high shipping and boating activity
  • Surrounded by coastal ecology sensitive to micro-climate change
  • Close to sea-bird colonies and in an area currently frequented by marine mammals
  • Connected to the National Grid via a 22 mile underground cable route from the shore at Taddiford Gap to a new substation north of Ferndown.
The developer has made an unusual proposal for the option of a smaller wind farm of 630MW capacity in the southern part of its area if the main proposal for 970MW is found to be unacceptable by the Secretary of State.  It is important to understand that this is just an additional option, it is NOT a replacement for the current proposal which is being examined.  Please see our summary page.
We are not against renewable energy and not necessarily opposed to offshore wind farms. But just like any industrial development, not every project is well-conceived or well-designed.  We have great reservations about the location and size of Navitus Bay's proposal. Refer to what is proposed? and why challenge it? for more information.  If you want to give your opinions on the development, click here. 

Videos

We have prepared some accurate videos using computer graphics to give you a better idea of what the proposed wind farm might look like.
We try to be factual and we have carefully researched the material for this site, but mistakes are always possible. If you spot one, please let us know.  We will be adding new material all the time, so please visit us again and subscribe for updates.