A DETAILED report setting out the damaging impact of the Navitus Bay wind farm project is set to be discussed by councillors.

Members of Dorset County Council’s cabinet will discuss the draft Local Impact Report at their meeting on Wednesday.

A final version of the report needs to be submitted to the Examining Authority by Monday, October 6 before a planning inquiry gets underway on Tuesday, October 14.

The plans submitted by Navitus Bay Development Ltd could see nearly 200 wind turbines up to 200m in height located 12 miles off the Dorset coast.

The county council has previously made clear it had a number of concerns about the scheme, and the Local Impact Report highlights the key issues.

The area the report focuses on are the visual impact on the landscape and seascape, the potential impact on the World Heritage site status for the Jurassic Coast, the historic and cultural heritage of Durlston Castle, environmental impacts, seabed geology, highways, traffic and transport issues and tourism and other socio-economic impacts.

In an outline report going before councillors, director for environment and the economy Mike Harries states: “The request for a Local Impact Report provides an opportunity for Dorset County Council to set out its concerns over the proposed Navitus Bay development.

“The content of the Local Impact Report will be scrutinised closely by the Examining Authority and the Secretary of State.”

The detailed report goes on to highlight the concern from the local community about the visual impact of the proposed wind farm on the county’s coastline.

It states: “There is genuine public and business concern about the visual impact of the proposed wind park.”

The report adds: “DCC are concerned about the protection, conservation and long term enhancement of natural and historic landscape features which may be affected by the onshore route corridor.”

The document goes on to state that concerns had been raised by the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site Steering Group about the impact of the development and the council endorsed those concerns.

In terms of the impact on tourism and local economy, the report states: “There is significant concern regarding the adverse impact upon Dorset’s tourism sector, particularly in Purbeck, and the inadequacy of the visual representations used to assess that impact.”

The council is also asking the Examining Authority to investigate other issues such as bird migration, noise, the effect of turbines on the microclimate, electromagnetic radiation and the impacts on recreational sailing and commercial fishing.

The report states: “The county council believed Dorset as a county will be adversely affected by the Navitus Bay Wind Park, and not just on the coastline from which it would be visible.

“The economic prosperity and environmental distinctiveness of the county is bound by the whole and any adverse change has a knock-on effect throughout all parts.”