The Application to build the Atlantic Array has now been withdrawn!
Atlantic Array is a proposed wind farm to be sited in the
Bristol Channel. It will be clearly visible from the coasts of
North Devon,
South West Wales and Lundy Island.
Beautiful views such as these will be blighted by
having 240 turbines over an area of 200 square
kilometres. The height of these turbines will be 220 metres
which is 50% taller than Lundy Island itself.
As well as obliterating the beautiful views from these
coastlines the wind farm would also have the following
detrimental effects:
Marine
Mammals: Harbour Porpoise, Common Dolphin, Minke Whale and Grey
Seals - these will all suffer underwater noise impacts from
construction causing physiological damage, temporary hearing
impairment, or disturbance. During the construction period they will also
suffer injury due to collision with vessels used.
Fish & Shellfish: Behavioural effects
on fish populations due to construction noise particularly for
hearing sensitive species such as herring. Permanent loss of
fish and shellfish habitat due to presence of turbines,
foundations, met masts and substations structures.
Birds: Collision
risk with turbines whilst in flight (seasonal migration and
diurnal or nocturnal movement). Amongst others, The
Balearic shearwater, a globally critically endangered species,
disperse or migrates through this area.
Navigation and safety issues: Increased vessel
encounter frequency and possible traffic ‘choke points’. Vessels
displaced from the wind farm construction area. Additional
voyage distances. Higher level of maritime incidents.
Surf: Alteration to wave characteristics at the
coast, adversely impacting surf waves. This will cause a drop in
income for the areas of North Devon and South West Wales as
obviously no surf equates to no surfers.
Fishing: During construction
fishers will have no access to the area within the 500m exclusion
zones around each turbine installation position. Vessels excluded
from fishing grounds within the proposed site will be displaced to
nearby grounds. This may interfere with existing fisheries and
increase fishing intensity in surrounding area. During the
operational phase, fishing may not be possible due to the presence
of the structures and cables and potential changes to seabed.
Tourism: All three areas
affected rely heavily, or as in the case of Lundy Island, solely
on tourism for their income. The wind farm would have a
devastating effect on this. People come to these areas of
outstanding natural beauty just for that - the outstanding natural
beauty. If these panoramic views consist of hundreds of wind
turbines as well as platforms the tourists will cease to visit.
Toxins: A limited amount of
potentially hazardous or polluting material may be used during
offshore construction.
Other: Changes
to the physical and biological environment could have adverse
effects on designated sites due to impacts on their designated
features. A huge amount of sediment will be disturbed. Changes to sediment flows caused by
the development and the impact on wave action, and any sequences could
potentially affect the beach and coastlines.
Onshore Impact: The
cables will come ashore at Cornborough Range and be
buried within a corridor 60 metres wide for a distance of 14.5km
to the sub station at Alverdiscott. This will result in
tempory or permanent habitat loss. This may include loss
of features of specific value to individual species (e.g. a
badger sett or similar place of rest for a species).
Lighting may affect foraging patterns of some species of bats.
Noise and vibration from drilling (which may be 24 hrs in some
cases)
Potential for contamination of watercourses.
Increased traffic.
Hedgerows, viewpoints and residential views will be effected.
North Devon sites Atlantic Disarray
and Slay the Array have more
links and details and a Welsh website No Atlantic Array has useful information and lists of people and
organisations to lobby as well as pro-forma letters.
I have several templates of
objection letters available for protesters to use to register
their objections to this proposal. One letter is worth far more
than 30 signatures on a petition. However the letters should not
all be standard so I would ask that you personalise them to gain
more credance.
Please email for further details: no2theaa@yahoo.co.uk
Letters of objection should be sent to: The Right Honourable Ed Davey MP,
Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change.
Department of Energy & Climate Change.
3 Whitehall Place, London. SW1A 2HH
Please ensure that you use the phrase 'I object'.
Please note that the above is all sourced from the RWE website
(the company that is proposing the wind farm).
This photo,
taken on a hazy day,
shows Fullabrook Wind Farm, turbine height 110 metres, from a
distance of 32
miles. The proposed ‘Array’ would have turbines of 220 metres
and be as close
as 8.8 miles off the coast of North
Devon. It will be clearly visible.
