September 15 2014.

Mr Grumpy writes:

Much has been made of the supposed benefits to Newhaven of the proposed Rampion Wind Farm, of the proposed new Port Access Road and now of the new proposals for the harbour itself.

Little has been said about the environmental and ecological cost of these proposals. Whilst anything that might give Newhaven a boost should be welcomed, it must be tempered with some thought for the hidden costs to our environment.

Sadly, whilst all these proposals for Newhaven sound wonderful, the truth is very different. Even with a new Port Access Road, new Ferry Terminal and new Deep Water Quayside, the truth is that Newhaven does not have the infrastructure to support a major harbour expansion. Newhaven does not have the road and rail links to sustain a major port. And do we want to tear up miles of countryside to build these road and rail links. I would hope not!

As has already been said by another contributor, ‘Its time to wake up and smell the coffee’, or perhaps, more appropriately, ‘wake up and smell the diggers, bulldozer's and earth movers’.

Ask yourself; Are you ready to see our local environment torn apart?.

Much has been made by the green lobby and many of our local politicians regarding the supposed benefits of the Rampion Wind Farm. Much has been made of the supposed benefits to our local industry, to local jobs and to our local economy.

I am all for sustainable local growth, both in the economy and the jobs market, but this is not the way forward.

Little has been said about the cost to our local environment, which, once lost will be gone forever.

Little has been said about the environmental impact and the ecological cost of such a project. Little has been said about the damage and loss to our local environment. Little has been said about the fact that most of the very skilled workforce needed for such a major project will be bought in for specific tasks.

The facts are sadly very different.

The cost of these wind farms could not be sustained without huge subsidies from government, from the tax payer and from the energy bill payers. That's you and me folks!

Wind farms are not cost effective, they do not produce the energy claimed and indeed, have to be switched off if the wind is too strong. Now is that flawed technology or what?

The cost to our local environment will be massive. The damage and devastation caused by this project on shore with the huge cabling project will be matched by the damage and devastation caused off shore by the turbine construction.

In short, our local environment and ecosystems will be destroyed and once lost will never come back.

And then there are the hidden costs to the environment during the production process of these wind farms. No one tells you about the pollution caused during the manufacturing process.

Also hidden are the eventual economic and environmental costs when it comes time to decommission these wind farms and dismantle them. Or will they simply be left out at sea to eventual crumble and disappear below the waves?

I am all for supporting and sustaining the local economy and local jobs, but this is not the way forward. The only beneficiary of such a project as the Rampion Wind Farm is the energy company that is proposing to build this environmental disaster.

Just think for one moment. No energy company would embark on any project simply because it was good for the country. Energy companies are not charities or philanthropic organisations. They are doing this because they will make a fortune out of it.

Our fragile local environment is far too valuable to risk on such a project, and once lost, it will be gone for ever.

So whilst all these proposals sound wonderful, do please take a long hard think about all the hidden costs.

Mr Grumpy
Seaford