Public consultation on a controversial application by a tidal power company to vary development conditions for its Ventnor site will soon close.
The Isle of Wight Council is currently taking public comments on Perpetuus Tidal Energy Centre (PTEC)’s application to vary planning conditions attached to its Flowers Brook development.
PTEC is a tidal stream energy generation project based to the south of the Island with a capacity of up to 30 megawatts.
In December 2021, PTEC was given permission to build the onshore element of its project: an electricity substation just south of Steephill Road with cabling connecting it to the offshore site off St Catherine’s Point.
The onshore site encompasses the grounds of Flowers Brook House and caravan site, Flowers Brook itself and a Southern Water pumping station.
Permission was given with 25 conditions including the submission of a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) for minimising the development’s impact on the environment, details on closed public rights of way and diverted routes and plans to restore land affected by the development.
Other key requirements include the safeguarding of archaeology and heritage assets and minimising land instability.
Originally, PTEC wanted to start construction in 2023, with plans for the project to be operational by 2025. The scheme has been much delayed.
PTEC said, in 2021, the scheme could eventually provide clean energy for up to 15,700 homes, which is equivalent to just over 20 per cent of the Island’s housing.
PTEC now wants to divide development work into two phases: the construction of an access road to the Flowers Brook site and a main construction stage.
Locals have accused PTEC of trying to wriggle out of the IW Council’s initial conditions with its latest application.
In an objecting comment on the IW Council’s planning portal, Barrie Domoney from Ventnor commented: “By using this method, Phase 1 and Phase 2, with the assistance of the Planning Officer, they have chosen the quickest and most cost-effective way of starting the project.
“By altering the Conditions 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12, by renumbering two conditions, deleting one and adding two, it appears the Applicant will be watering down their responsibility to discharge planning conditions before starting work on the project.”
Comments can be accepted until August 21.
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