Environmental concerns voiced during offshore windfarm consultation

Katy Jenkins, local democracy reporter

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority has highlighted concerns about the impact of a massive floating windfarm on the marine environment and migratory birds but confirms it will not  object to plans for its construction following a consultation.

The Erebus windfarm will be located 45km of the southwest coast of Pembrokeshire and will consist of seven to ten turbines

Construction of the windfarm is expected to start in 2026 and the project also includes an offshore cable route back to a landing point near Milford Haven and an onshore cable route from the landing point to a new substation near Pembroke power station.

The applicant Blue Gem Wind Ltd has applied to Welsh Ministers for consent under the Electricity Act to construct and operate the generating station and a separate marine licence has been applied for from Natural Resources Wales, members were told.

A number of members highlighted significant concerns about the impact on migratory birds and in particular Manx Shearwaters and called for assurance that these matters would be considered seriously during the planning process.

The impact of the cable on the seabed was also to be fed into the response to the consultation and a call for the offsetting of adverse effects through landscape enhancements.

Mitigation

The authority members agreed that the response be that the national park does not object, but there are concerns, and that “this view is subject to the securing of the mitigation proposed within the environmental statement.

“There remain adverse effects on the National Park and these are not fully mitigated, these adverse effects should be appropriately offset through landscape enhancements, secured as part of the development’s requirements,” concludes the response, signed by director of planning and park direction Nicola Gandy.