FIFTY residents’ groups have joined forces to fight plans to build a wind farm off the Dorset coast.

The Poole and Christchurch Bays Association (PCBA) has launched a ‘Save our Seaside’ campaign to oppose Navitus’ plans to site up to 218 wind turbines out at sea.

PCBA members carried out their own exit poll of people visiting the recent public consultation exhibition at the BIC and claim to have found strong opposition to the controversial scheme.

Chairman Roy Pointer said: “The overwhelming majority of visitors to the exhibition were strongly opposed to this industrial monster being sited so close to our shores. Some told us they were further angered by the development company’s claimed levels of support for the plans.”

The final round of public consultation on the scheme will be taking place on Friday, October 11.

Navitus Bay is a joint venture between Eneco and EDF and the wind farm would be situated between the Isle of Wight and Purbeck.

Mike Unsworth, project director for the Navitus Bay scheme, said: “It is simply untrue to say that the majority of people are against the Navitus Bay Wind Park. We met with almost 1,500 people, many of whom expressed support for the project.”