Planning permission for controversial offshore windfarms granted, despite campaigning by celebrities
The government has given planning permission for two more wind farms off the Suffolk coast to harness more renewable energy, despite fierce opposition from celebrities including Ralph Fiennes and Joanna Lumley.
The Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Kwasi Kwarteng granted planning permission for ScottishPower Renewables East Anglia One North and East Anglia Two Offshore after months of campaigning by stakeholders over the environmental impact of the wind farms. Lumley and Fiennes, along with Griff Rhys Jones and 14 other celebrities, wrote an open letter to a national newspaper on the issue in February, fearing the beautiful Suffolk countryside would “disappear under a sea of concrete” if approved .
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There are already two wind farms in the sea area – East Anglia One and East Anglia Three – which were built in 2014 and 2017 respectively, after ScottishPower Renewables were awarded the rights to develop the area as part of the Crown Estate’s third round process. Now East Suffolk Council will be responsible for deciding the development requirements for the project and work could potentially start as early as 2023.
Councilor Craig Rivett, Deputy Chair and Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said: “East Suffolk Council will be reviewing the details of the decision itself and are now working with the developer and affected communities to ensure the projects are in compliance with the Development Consent Orders and that the necessary mitigation and compensation measures are provided and implemented in a timely manner.”
Once constructed, the projects will contribute up to 1.7 GW of renewable energy and help meet the government’s ambition of 40 GW of offshore wind power by 2030. and underground cables will be connected to a substation north of the village of Friston.
Suffolk-born Ralph Fiennes has strong views on wind farms and is not pro-wind
(Image: PA)
The concerned celebrity’s letter to the national newspaper earlier this year highlighted a range of potential environmental risks from the project, saying: “A huge chunk of some of Suffolk’s finest countryside is set to disappear beneath a sea of concrete with ScottishPower Renewables (SPR). and National Grid’s disruptive plans to build potentially the largest onshore energy hub in Europe.
“The Energy Secretary’s forthcoming decision on East Anglia ONE North (EA1N) and East Anglia TWO (EA2) will allow for six more towering buildings to sacrifice land at Snape, near the 6th-century Anglo-Saxon graveyard and home of Benjamin Britten’s Snape Maltings Concert Hall. A separate decision is proposed to continue construction of wind turbines but switch to integrated offshore cabling to brownfields.”
Dame Joanna Lumley has lent her voice to the fight against the wind farm
(Image: John Phillips/Getty Images)
The letter went on to say the project would threaten the “fragile ecosystems, diverse wildlife, Aldeburgh and thriving tourism economy”. All celebrities have personal ties to Suffolk as the county close to their hearts by visiting, living or being born here. They fear the project is “far from green” despite the renewable energy target.
However, GENERATE, an energy investment partnership in East Anglia, hailed the news as a win for the renewable energy transition and brings the region a step closer to goals for the future. Ian Pease, Energy Development Manager at GENERATE said: “We are delighted that planning permission has been granted for the East Anglia TWO and ONE North wind farms.
“The East of England, as the UK’s leading producer of renewable energy, is on track to supply 50% of the UK’s 40GW offshore wind target by 2030 and these projects form an important part of that. Combining offshore and onshore wind, solar, nuclear and gas, East of England is driving the UK’s energy transition and helping keep the country on track to net zero by 2050.
“The green light for East Anglia TWO and ONE North will fuel the region’s energy supply chain and skilled workforce and is the latest step in East of England’s vision to secure the UK’s future with sustainable energy.”
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