The Rampion 2 Project Team have refuted claims from residents that they have not held an adequate public engagement programme. The wind farm could power over one million homes in the UK and reduce carbon emissions by around 1.8 million tonnes per year would be sited off the Sussex coast.
Sussex resident groups are hoping to make their voices heard to prevent the windfarm expansion going ahead.
Protect Coastal Sussex claims public consultations have so far been inadequate on the windfarm that will stretch off shore from Newhaven to Selsey.
The Development Consent Order was filed by Rampion 2 with the Planning Inspectorate on 10 August giving them 28 days to review it before a decision is made as to whether the planning application can continue.
Its the early stages of obtaining planning permission for a nationally significant infrastructure project.
A spokesperson from the Rampion 2 Project Team, RWE, said:
We have carried out a huge programme of engagement and consultation with our stakeholders and communities and as a result made changes to the design of Rampion 2. We are grateful to our stakeholders and local communities for taking the time to give us feedback and help us shape our project.
The application includes detailed proposals for the Rampion 2 Offshore Wind Farm, environmental surveys and assessments, and includes a consultation report which details the number of consultations carried out over the three years. We have subsequently made multiple changes to the proposals in response to feedback from statutory consultees and the Sussex community.
Now that the DCO Application has been submitted, the Planning Inspectorate will take up to 28 days to decide whether to accept or reject the application. Acceptance means that an application proceeds to be considered at examination. It does not make any decision on the outcome of the DCO application at this stage.
If the DCO application is accepted for examination by the Planning Inspectorate, Rampion 2 will, in accordance with Section 56 of the Planning Act 2008, notify each of the prescribed persons and bodies and publicise the accepted application.
Project details will be made available on the Project Page of the Planning Inspectorate website if the application is accepted for examination . Anyone wishing to be kept informed or to participate in the examination can register at the same website. After that point, members of the public can register to take part in the examination and discuss the merits of the proposals.
The wind farm could power over one million homes in the UK and reduce carbon emissions by around 1.8 million tonnes per year.
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