SEPTEMBER 2006

The consortium planning to build the world’s largest offshore wind farm is appealing against Swale Borough Council’s decision to refuse permission for an onshore substation – needed to bring the electricity ashore and feed it into the National Grid.

The proposed substation at Cleve Hill, near Faversham, is a key element of the 1,000MW London Array wind farm, which, if built, would supply enough clean energy to meet the electricity consumption of every house in Kent and East Sussex.

The appeal follows Swale Borough Council Planning Committee’s decision on 5 June this year to reject London Array’s application to build the substation, against the recommendations of planning officers.

Andrew Murfin, Director, London Array Limited, said: “We firmly believe that this is an excellent project – and that Cleve Hill remains the only location that minimises environmental concerns while meeting the necessary technical criteria for such a critical element of the project.

“This view is shared by, among others, Kent County Council, SEEDA, Business Link, local chambers of commerce, Locate in Kent and the Institute of Directors as well as by environmental groups such as Greenpeace, WWF, Friends of the Earth and the Kent Green Party, all of whom support the London Array proposals.

“Swale councillors raised concerns when they considered our substation plans in June. We now hope that the enhancements we’ve made to our proposals result in a solution that is acceptable to everyone.”

Two of the major issues raised by councillors were:
• The impact on Goodnestone and Graveney of construction traffic; and
• The visual impact of the substation.

“After listening to local residents, Graveney Primary School and Swale councillors we’ve developed more specific measures to address traffic concerns and believe that the issues have been fully addressed,” said Mr Murfin. “We now look forward to sharing these new plans with the local community.”

The consortium has also been working with the Kent Architecture Centre to run a competition for the design of the substation. The winner, RMJM, a world-renowned firm of architects, has developed plans that enhance the architectural design of the substation in sympathy with the local landscape.

If approved, the project would bring substantial benefits to the local community, both directly and indirectly.

London Array is committed to using local companies, wherever feasible, in the construction of both the substation and the wind farm. In addition, the Kent economy could be further boosted as associated facilities, such as hotels, are also likely to be used during the construction process. Longer term, Kent has the opportunity to become a hub for offshore wind farms, creating a new industry for the area with the potential to create thousands of new jobs.

If approved, the project would also see an £850,000 package of community benefits, including a community fund, a fund for environmental schemes as well as substantial financial support for local education.
London Array is a consortium comprising three partners: Shell WindEnergy Ltd, E.ON UK Renewables Developments Ltd and CORE Ltd. CORE is a joint venture between UK developer Farm Energy, the originator of the project, and Danish wind power specialist Energi E2.