On 2 December 2014, Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns addressed the final Planning Inspectorate hearing on the proposed Navitus Bay wind farm.
Following two written representations, three debates in the House of Commons and numerous meetings with interested parties, Conor reiterated his concern at the hearing over the damage that Navitus Bay would do to both Bournemouth’s tourism economy and the wider Dorset economy.
Quoting research carried out by Bournemouth Borough Council, the Bournemouth West MP claimed that the wind farm would cost 2,000 of the 10,000 local jobs supported by tourism, accompanying a fall in tourist income of £100 million per annum. This, he said, would be ‘a hammer blow to our local economy’.
He also raised his concern that the wind farm could threaten the World Heritage status of the Jurassic Coast, and revealed that he has spoken to Sajid Javid, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, about his department’s role in the process.
Speaking after the event, Conor Burns said: “Having been unable to attend previous hearings because of commitments in the House of Commons, I was determined to speak at this final hearing to represent the vast majority of my constituents who have contacted me to oppose this development. Bournemouth was last week named as the UK’s best coastal resort, and to have that reputation – and the tourists that come with it – threatened would deal a grave blow to the local and regional economies. I hope that the Planning Inspectorate will note the persuasive arguments that I and others have made during this process, and recommend that consent for the project be refused.”
The Planning Inspectorate examination is timetabled to end in March 2015, and the final decision will be made by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change by September 2015.