Developers will not appeal refused Navitus Bay wind farm

  • Published
Navitus Bay mock-upImage source, Navitus bay
Image caption,
The £3.5bn Navitus Bay plan, developed jointly by Dutch firm Eneco and French giant EDF Energy A, would have had up to 121 8MW turbines at 200m (656ft) high

Developers behind a wind farm plan off the south coast of England which was refused consent by the government have decided not to appeal the decision.

The Navitus Bay project was for up to 121 turbines off Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change rejected the offshore project in September.

The developers' "extensive" research will be made available via the Crown Estate's Marine Data Exchange.

Image source, Navitus Bay
Image caption,
It is the second time the DECC has refused permission for an offshore project

The £3.5bn plan, developed jointly by Dutch firm Eneco and French giant EDF Energy A, would have seen up to 121 8MW turbines at 200m (656ft) high constructed.

Research legacy

Developers said it would have provided electricity for up to 700,000 homes, but opponents argued it would damage tourism and was too close to protected coasts.

It was only the second time the government rejected an offshore project.

A statement on the Navitus Bay website read: "After careful consideration, Navitus Bay has chosen not to challenge this decision.

"We would like to thank the communities on the South Coast and all our stakeholders for their engagement throughout the project."

It added a "wealth of information" gathered, including bird and mammal surveys, archaeological data and sediment sampling, would be left as a "legacy...to stimulate research, support academia and contribute towards the sustainable management of the seabed".

The Challenge Navitus campaign group, which had opposed the development, said in a statement it was "delighted and relieved" at the announcement.

"The examiners' recommendation for refusal to the government was unequivocal and carefully considered, as was the Secretary of State's decision, so it would have been surprising if there were legal flaws in the process that the developer could challenge," it added.

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