Wind farm debate is brought to Parliament (From Dorset Echo)

Wind farm debate is brought to Parliament

2:10pm Wednesday 4th July 2012 in News

THE debate on the controversial Navitus Bay wind farm proposed off the Dorset coast moves to the Houses of Parliament today.

South Dorset MP Richard Drax secured the adjournment debate as concerns continue to mount about the potential effects of the sprawling 76-square mile offshore farm.

Mr Drax said: “There are people who are for the wind farm. There are people who support it but want it in a different place and there are many people who are against it.

“But the general consensus seems to be that people don’t want it there. I don’t believe, and nor do any of my constituents feel, that this is NIMBYism, because of the sheer scale of this vast wind farm.”

If approved, the Navitus Bay wind farm would stretch between Purbeck and the Isle of Wight and contain 150-300 wind turbines towering up to 210 meters high.

Eneco, the company behind the bid, have held a series of public consultations across the conurbation. Mr Drax added: “This wind farm could be only a few kilometres off our coast which has World Heritage Site status. If we told the Australians we were going to build this opposite their Great Barrier Reef, I think I know, having been to Australia, exactly where they would tell you to go.”