Why challenge the Navitus Bay windfarm proposal?
Overview
The question is not about whether we have wind farms, but where we choose to build them.
Our region is genuinely exceptional and has value not just for its residents but nationally. We should be protecting as many of these special places as possible for the future. There is enough potential wind power nationally for us to choose the proposals with the lowest negative impacts. There would be no point in consultation and examination if every wind farm were to get consent irrespective of its consequences.
We believe that Navitus Bay is not a good plan, and should not proceed, for reasons that are outlined in this section. Our national aim should be to minimize the negative impacts of offshore wind farms, but Navitus Bay is a bad compromise. In short, its disadvantages outweigh its benefits. More...
Our region is genuinely exceptional and has value not just for its residents but nationally. We should be protecting as many of these special places as possible for the future. There is enough potential wind power nationally for us to choose the proposals with the lowest negative impacts. There would be no point in consultation and examination if every wind farm were to get consent irrespective of its consequences.
We believe that Navitus Bay is not a good plan, and should not proceed, for reasons that are outlined in this section. Our national aim should be to minimize the negative impacts of offshore wind farms, but Navitus Bay is a bad compromise. In short, its disadvantages outweigh its benefits. More...
The Economy
A key aspect of our local economy is a huge tourism & leisure sector that derives its wealth from our beautiful natural surroundings. They also give reasons for people to live, work & retire here. The environment's financial value far exceeds any potential financial benefit from a wind farm. As an example of this, NBDL's data showed that around 40,000 regional jobs depend on tourism alone, compared with 185 jobs (not necessarily all local) that may be generated by the wind farm during operation. A tiny decline in tourism would completely swamp any gain from the wind farm, and tourism is only a fraction of the total economic picture.
NBDL's visitor and business survey data were generally negative, but NBDL claimed that "The impact on tourism is really a perception," citing other wind farms as comparators. But there are always inconsistencies in comparisons and attitudes to wind farms are evolving as they become less of a novelty. In any case, the community takes the risk, not NBDL. If NBDL had to underwrite the risk to our local economy as a consequence of its development, we don't think it would ever be financed.
Other proposed wind farms far out in the North Sea, for example, have none of these financial risks to their local economies.
NBDL's visitor and business survey data were generally negative, but NBDL claimed that "The impact on tourism is really a perception," citing other wind farms as comparators. But there are always inconsistencies in comparisons and attitudes to wind farms are evolving as they become less of a novelty. In any case, the community takes the risk, not NBDL. If NBDL had to underwrite the risk to our local economy as a consequence of its development, we don't think it would ever be financed.
Other proposed wind farms far out in the North Sea, for example, have none of these financial risks to their local economies.
Land & Seascapes
Our region is protected by three national landscape designations and hosts England's only natural World Heritage Site, the "Jurassic Coast". These areas are supposed to receive the highest level of protection. They were designated for very good reasons, and a lot of public money is spent maintaining them. In our small, crowded nation, these areas assume great importance and protecting them for the future must be given a high priority. See a map here.
Yet Navitus Bay would be seen from all four of these areas, and it is less than 9 miles from the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the World Heritage Site. By the standards of Round 3 wind farms, this is close inshore. The wind farm would be a jarring industrial complex in what is currently one of the best views on the south coast and which draws visitors from all over the world.
Other proposals in the national plan would not even be visible from the coast and do not compromise designated areas at all. More...
Yet Navitus Bay would be seen from all four of these areas, and it is less than 9 miles from the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the World Heritage Site. By the standards of Round 3 wind farms, this is close inshore. The wind farm would be a jarring industrial complex in what is currently one of the best views on the south coast and which draws visitors from all over the world.
Other proposals in the national plan would not even be visible from the coast and do not compromise designated areas at all. More...
The Marine Environment
Our region is surprisingly unusual and important for marine wildlife and it is already protected in four areas surrounding Navitus Bay (see a map). These areas would be directly affected by construction activity and, of course, fish and mammals move throughout the region irrespective of human boundaries. Unlike the sandy or silty bottoms of the North Sea, our area has a mixture of harder, gravelly bottoms and thin deposits on bed-rock. So cable trenching and foundation digging can do more harm that is slower to heal than areas with deep soft sediments.
The offshore disruption would be significant, and would raise an outcry if it were occurring on land where we could see and hear it. At least 5,000,000 sq. m of seabed would be directly affected (more if you include cover by sediment) and 500,000 tons of rock would have to be imported for protecting cables and foundations. Whilst new artificial habitats may be created, they are not the indigenous habitats of the region and have uncertain ecological consequences for the local flora and fauna.
The noise and disruption occurring over several breeding seasons is a concern for species that live, eat, or spawn in, or migrate through, the area.
Damage is inevitable with such huge industrial installations, but Navitus Bay is in a bad location for minimizing these negative impacts.
The offshore disruption would be significant, and would raise an outcry if it were occurring on land where we could see and hear it. At least 5,000,000 sq. m of seabed would be directly affected (more if you include cover by sediment) and 500,000 tons of rock would have to be imported for protecting cables and foundations. Whilst new artificial habitats may be created, they are not the indigenous habitats of the region and have uncertain ecological consequences for the local flora and fauna.
The noise and disruption occurring over several breeding seasons is a concern for species that live, eat, or spawn in, or migrate through, the area.
Damage is inevitable with such huge industrial installations, but Navitus Bay is in a bad location for minimizing these negative impacts.
Onshore Developments
The cable route onshore from Taddiford Gap to Mannington is 22 miles long. NBDL needs a working area 40m wide to bury 6 cables, and that excludes access roads and works compounds. This is equivalent in width to an 8-lane motorway with hard shoulders, so it is not a small undertaking. Trees will have to be felled, hedgerows cut and 7 protected sites (excluding the New Forest National Park itself) would be crossed with inevitable damage. Whilst some areas may heal in time, large trees cannot be replanted over the cable route so some changes are semi-permanent.
The additional substation at Mannington would cover 7.5 acres and is a big installation in its own right, as a quick look at the existing substation will confirm.
The additional substation at Mannington would cover 7.5 acres and is a big installation in its own right, as a quick look at the existing substation will confirm.
Birds and Bats
Our knowledge of the impacts of wind farms on birds and bats is still very limited, so it would seem sensible to keep large offshore wind farms away from known concentrations. There is a general problem with disturbance and injury to sea-birds (e.g. Navitus Bay is within the feeding area of the Gannet colony on Alderney). But Navitus Bay is also on migration routes between England and the Cotentin peninsular in France, so there is greater uncertainty about its impacts on migrants.
The effect of changes in mortality on populations depends hugely on the species. For example, many seabirds are long-lived, slow breeders with few predators. Even a small change in mortality rates can affect their populations. On the other hand, small land birds tend to be short-lived, fast breeders with lots of predators, such as cats and cars. Their populations would be less sensitive to a few turbine collisions. Seabirds may actually benefit from the presence of windfarms because of improved fish stocks, provided they avoid the blades. Humans rationalise bird deaths by claiming that they are "insignificant" or "necessary to prevent greater harm from climate change", but when we know so little about the effects on birds and bats, we should apply the precautionary principle and do everything we can to minimize the risks. This means locating wind farms carefully.
The effect of changes in mortality on populations depends hugely on the species. For example, many seabirds are long-lived, slow breeders with few predators. Even a small change in mortality rates can affect their populations. On the other hand, small land birds tend to be short-lived, fast breeders with lots of predators, such as cats and cars. Their populations would be less sensitive to a few turbine collisions. Seabirds may actually benefit from the presence of windfarms because of improved fish stocks, provided they avoid the blades. Humans rationalise bird deaths by claiming that they are "insignificant" or "necessary to prevent greater harm from climate change", but when we know so little about the effects on birds and bats, we should apply the precautionary principle and do everything we can to minimize the risks. This means locating wind farms carefully.
Navigation
Our area is exceptionally busy with recreational and working marine traffic, and marine leisure is an extremely valuable part of the local economy. This immediately makes Navitus Bay's location questionable when compared with other proposals around the country.
No one denies that wind farms are a navigation hazard. The obvious strategy to minimize risk is to place wind farms in areas of low activity. Yet Navitus Bay is in probably the busiest area in the country for small boat navigation, and directly on the traditional routes to France and the Channel Islands.
Similar to other users of the environment, seafarers value freedom of navigation, views and amenity, and these are clearly degraded by a wind farm. In an area with lower traffic, fewer people would be affected. More...
No one denies that wind farms are a navigation hazard. The obvious strategy to minimize risk is to place wind farms in areas of low activity. Yet Navitus Bay is in probably the busiest area in the country for small boat navigation, and directly on the traditional routes to France and the Channel Islands.
Similar to other users of the environment, seafarers value freedom of navigation, views and amenity, and these are clearly degraded by a wind farm. In an area with lower traffic, fewer people would be affected. More...