The Arundel and South Downs MP Andrew Griffith has accused local councils for abandoning their residents who will be most impacted by the Rampion 2 windfarm proposals.
The MP had called upon the leaders of Arun and Horsham district councils – both under Liberal Democrat control since May 2023 - to ask that the councils record their objections to the planning application process through Adequacy of Consultation statements, as requested by the Planning Inspectorate. Andrew himself delivered a response to the Planning Inspectorate to reflect the concerns and evidence presented to him as the local Member of Parliament, although not a statutory consultee himself.
In the absence of a strong thumbs down from local councils about the adequacy of local consultation, the Planning Inspectorate today approved the application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) which will now go to Examination, a process which could take up to a year.
Andrew Griffith describes the new cable route as a “cable motorway” through communities within the Arun and Horsham districts, and across the South Downs National Park protected landscape. Its construction phase alone is expected to disrupt households and businesses in West Sussex for many years.
The German company RWE is planning to develop the Rampion 2 project which they list as an extension of the existing Rampion windfarm off the Sussex coast.
Andrew said:
“Our local district councils had a special right within the planning process to tell the Planning Inspectorate that the consultation to date is inadequate an that the application should not go any further until communities’ feedback has been properly reflected. It is a massive dereliction of duty that our Lib Dem led councils have abandoned residents by failing to fully utilise this opportunity. Residents don’t want their representatives to sit on the fence whilst the bulldozers roll.”
“To be clear, I do not believe that RWE have delivered an adequate consultation about this cable motorway at all – a view which is widely shared by residents, landowners and businesses in the areas most impacted. There has been a comprehensive failure to engage properly with those most affected.”
Councillor Shaun Gunner, Conservative group leader on Arun District Council said:
“This is a damaging proposal for the Arun valley which will hit communities and despoil our green fields. That’s why it was important for Cllr Matt Stanley the Lib Dem Leader to tell the Planning Inspectorate exactly what residents have been telling local conservatives – that the consultation process has been inadequate.”
Notes – in its formal response dated 24 August 2023, Horsham District Council said that the Rampion 2 project HAD met the consultation standards on three of the four grounds and declined to object on the fourth ground, saying the planning inspector could make up their own mind instead. To read the letter in full see attachment below.
