Wind farms have come under renewed fire in the UK as environmental agencies oppose plans for a new one off the south coast of England.
Rampion wind farm, with up to 175 very tall turbines, has been approved by ministers in the first wind farm on that coast.
National Trust and the South Downs National Park Authority say that that the sea vistas from coastal beauty spots will be spoiled by the installation.
But the UK’s energy secretary approved the development last week saying that the energy expected was enough for some 450,000 homes which outweighs the “potential adverse local impacts”.
Standing 689’ tall, the turbines will be some 9 miles away from Brighton and Worthing. The park authority said the turbines would appear as “a band on the horizon” and be visible from about a third of the downland of the National Park.
German energy giant E.On will begin construction of the £2bn project next year with a targeted completion date of 2018.
It has pledged to minimise disruption and restore the landscape, after the need to lay 17 miles of onshore power cables through chalk grassland, half of which is in the National Park.
