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Drop-in visitors pleased with wind farm cable work

Andrew Turner/BBC People gathered at an event inside Aylsham Town Hall. Some people are standing in front of desks, with representatives of RWE and Murphy speaking with them. The hall has archive images of the venue on the walls, with some curtains visible to the left of the image and a wood-effect floor.Andrew Turner/BBC
People were able to drop-in at the event in Aylsham Town Hall to ask questions about the process of contructing the windfarm and the process of bringing cables across Norfolk

Drop-in sessions are being held for people concerned about the impact of underground cables from offshore wind farms being brought onshore.

They are taking place in six towns and villages close to a planned cable route connecting three different wind farms along the Norfolk coast.

The first was on Tuesday afternoon in Aylsham and the final session will be in Witton and Riddlington on 11 March.

Members of the project team will be available to answer questions about the latest construction plans and the huge Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone (NOWZ) project as a whole.

Andrew Turner/BBC Aylsham Town Hall, a red-brick Georgian building with decorated features and a grand entrance to the right of the image. Outside it are a red pillar box, a bus shelter and a red K6 British telephone box.Andrew Turner/BBC
The first information event hosted by RWE and its construction contractor Murphy was held at Aylsham Town Hall

German energy firm RWE, the developer, has said NOWZ is expected to generate power before 2030 and could provide 4.2 GW of energy each year - enough for more than four million homes.

The Vanguard West, Vanguard East and Boreas wind farms will be between 30 to 50 miles (47 to 80 km) off the coast.

NOWZ's onshore cable route could stretch 37 miles (60km) from Happisburgh in the east to Necton in the west.

RWE is developing the wind farms after acquiring the rights to the projects from the Swedish rival Vattenfall in a deal worth nearly £1bn.

Drop-in sessions will also be held in North Walsham on Wednesday, Cawston on 22 January, Happisburgh on 4 February and Dereham on 18 February.

Times and venues are listed on RWE's Norfolk Zone website.

None of the representatives from either RWE or its construction partner Murphy at the Aylsham event were permitted to speak to the BBC.

Andrew Turner/BBC Dave Eccles stands on the left of his wife. He is wearing a black coat, with a white fleece and blue zipped shirt beneath that. He has glasses and receding grey hair. His wife, Vivien, has blonde hair and a centre parting, is wearing red-rimmed glasses and has earrings. She is wearing a blue jacket and grey jersey beneath. They are standing near an RWE banner inside the entrance to Aylsham Town Hall.Andrew Turner/BBC
Dave and Vivien Eccles, from Aylsham, said they were pleased with the way the cables were being run through their area

Dave Eccles, 69, from Aylsham, said: "We are very for wind or solar. What they are doing there is great.

"Yeah, there's going to be a scar on the landscape for a little while but just like the gas pipes, it's going to disappear and we are going to get good natural energy.

"We've got to get a grip of it, global warming. We've already exceeded 1.5C this year so it's only going to get worse and the more we can do like this, the better."

His wife, Vivien, 68, said: "I'm happy with either [underground cables or pylons], really. We have to have power. It's ridiculous to not recognise that.

"If they put a pylon up, I don't mind it, in all honesty, but obviously ducting under the ground is preferable."

Andrew Turner/BBC Seamus Elliott is wearing a grey woolly hat, and a black gilet with a blue fleece beneath. He has a goatee beard, and is standing outside the entrance to Aylsham Town Hall.Andrew Turner/BBC
Seamus Elliott, 73, believes the project will be well constructed, causing minimal effect to the environment if completed as per the plan

Seamus Elliott, 73, from Banningham, said: "I was able to ask questions about what was happening in our parish and good, clear answers [came back].

"I'm particularly interested in making sure there's a minimum impact on trees and wildlife and they seem to be doing an awful lot and we will wait to see how good they make things at the end of all this.

"If all the trees are replanted, then good for them, but I'm in favour of wind power anyway."

Andrew Turner/BBC Brian Schuil is wearing a burgundy fleece with a burgundy knitted jersey and blue collared polo shirt beneath. He has receding white hair, and is wearing glasses. He is pictured outside the entrance of Aylsham Town Hall, a Georgian building with decorative red brickwork.Andrew Turner/BBC
Brian Schuil, 79, from Cawston, said he welcomed the work, believing it to be good for energy security and the local economy if traffic issues were resolved

Brian Schuil, 79, from Cawston, said: "It's a very good project. A few traffic issues in Cawston, but I think we can overcome that.

"Several years ago they put a gas pipeline right across Norfolk near enough in the same area they're going in now. You go and show me where it is now.

"Apart from a few yellow things sticking out of the ground, the farmers are still farming the fields after that. They got looked after. What's the problem?

"It's good for the local economy, it's good for the electricity of the country."

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