Labour 'would support Navitus Bay wind farm', Bournemouth candidate suggests

BURIED plans for an offshore wind farm would be a scheme GB Energy “would support”, a Labour candidate has said.

Jessica Toale, who is running for Labour in Bournemouth West, appeared to suggest she’d back a Navitus -style wind farm off the town’s coast run by her party’s proposed state-owned energy company.

Navitus Bay was a contentious plan for 194 wind turbines up to 200m high that was rejected about a decade ago following fierce opposition from residents, councils, MPs and the National Trust.

• Would you want to see a wind farm off the coast? Send us your thoughts for publication to letters@bournemouthecho.co.uk

A recording sent in by an Echo reader of Ms Toale at a recent Q&A said: “And part of those plans include a plan to set up GB Energy, which is a fully state-owned renewable energy company.

Jessica Toale, labour candidate for Bournemouth West (Image: Daily Echo)

“I know there's been a bit of controversy about an offshore wind farm in the sea off Bournemouth… that would be a programme that I think that type of energy company would support because that can provide all the energy to this entire conurbation without needing anything else and that would be entirely green.

“It would be way cheaper and it would be good for our climate goals as well.”

• Read more on Navitus Bay wind farm: Navitus Bay wind farm plans rejected by government

When approached for further comment on her views regarding an offshore wind farm, Labour’s Bournemouth West candidate replied: “I want to see investment here in Bournemouth, working alongside and in partnership with local communities, with a focus on protecting our local heritage.

“This election is now a clear choice between change with a Labour government, with a defining mission to cut bills, ensure energy independence, create jobs and lead the world on climate action, or the alternative of more of the Tory failure that has left this country exposed to the worst cost of living crisis in memory, has let good jobs leak abroad, and is slipping into climate denial.”

Sir Conor Burns, Conservative candidate for Bournemouth West (Image: NQ)

Conservative rival for Bournemouth West Sir Conor Burns hit out at Ms Toale, accusing her of having “total ignorance of our area”.

He said: “I led the opposition Navitus because it was the wrong proposal in the wrong place.

“It was rejected because of the impact on the Jurassic coast and England’s only natural World Heritage designation.

“People will be furious that someone from Soho can so glibly dismiss what was an exhaustive and comprehensive examination and seek to impose their climate ideology on a totally unsuitable location for a wind farm.”

Navitus Bay was rejected by the government in 2015 after years of strong debate on both sides.

The scrapped project by EDF Energy and Eneco would have seen turbines sited 13 miles from Bournemouth and Poole and nine miles from Swanage.

Labour’s pledge to set up a publicly-owned GB Energy to invest in domestic power sources – part of the party’s six-point “first steps” policy – aims to tackle the cost-of-living crisis by cutting energy bills.

Early investments by Great British Energy will include wind and solar projects across the UK, as well as making Scotland a world leader in new technologies such as floating offshore wind, hydrogen and CCS, Sir Keir Starmer has pledged.

Labour plans to fund the company, which will be headquartered in Scotland, through a windfall tax on big oil and gas firms, with an initial £8.3 billion capitalisation over a parliament.