Dorset County Council’s Planning Committee Disapproves Navitus Bay

The Planning Committee of the Dorset County Council has voiced its objection to the Navitus Bay offshore wind project at a meeting yesterday, the Dorset Echo informs.

The Committee gathered to review a report on the project’s planning application, which will be filed to the County Council. The report will serve the Council to submit its final response on the project to the Planning Inspectorate.

Concerns have been raised about the project’s light pollution of the visible sky, birds and the effect that the onshore electrical infrastructure might have on local highways.

The Planning Inspectorate accepted the Navitus Bay planning application for examination in April. Members of the public and organisations can register as interested parties and make initial representations to the Planning Inspectorate until June 23.

As a statutory consultee, along with other local authorities in the affected area, Dorset County Council must be consulted at key stages in the development of the proposal.

Navitus Bay’s developers, Eneco and EDF Energy, scaled back the project’s size in February to reduce its visual impact. Comprising 194 5 MW turbines, Navitus Bay will have a maximum installed capacity of 970 MW, generating enough clean energy to power approximately 710,000 homes.