The Planning Inspectorate has published its first written questions, appealing for expert answers, regarding the proposed Navitus Bay Wind Park development.

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is among the registered interested parties, which will be responding.

Navitus
Bay Development Limited is proposing to build an offshore wind farm with up to
194, 200m-tall wind turbines in waters off Dorset,
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Stuart Carruthers, RYA cruising manager said: ‘The panel responsible for examining the application to develop the Navitus Bay Wind Park has published its first written questions to the applicant and registered interested parties, including the RYA.
 
‘It is clear from the published questions that the panel has read and understood the concerns about the development made by the RYA, members of the public and other interested parties.”
 
‘The RYA will now be responding to those of the panel’s questions that have been addressed to it, providing further information and evidence as appropriate; this follows on from our previous submission to the panel at the beginning of the examination process.’

The RYA opposes those features of any individual wind farms that it believes will present an intolerable hazard to navigation and its approach to the Navitus Bay Wind Park development has been based on this principle.

Safe navigation is ‘paramount’
 
Stuart added: ‘Safety of navigation through any wind farm is of course paramount and we have been in discussions with the developers, Marine & Coastguard Agency and Trinity House from the outset of this project.
 
‘Important also is that boaters retain the freedom to choose whether they make passage through or around a wind farm and it is for this reason that we are opposed to operational safety zones excluding boaters from entering an operating wind farm.’

The updated examination timetable can be viewed on the National Infrastructure pages of the Planning Portal website together with the Panel’s published questions and the list of issue specific hearings.
 
If you wish to be heard at an open floor hearing on the Isle of Wight or wish to make oral representations at an issue-specific hearing then you must notify the Panel on or before Monday 20 October 2014.

Picture credit: London Array Photographs