Public get chance to see wind farm plans

Public get chance to see wind farm plans

14 November 2012

A SERIES of information days have continued in the district following proposals for a major wind farm off the County Down Coast.

Castlewellan Community Centre, the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle and the Community Centre in Ardglass were among the local venues visited by representatives of First Flight Wind — the consortium behind the project.

These information days allow members of the First Flight Wind project team to meet local communities, listen to their views and introduce the potential offshore project.

Sacha Workman, First Flight Wind Community Liaison Team Lead, said there had been “considerable local interest” so far and that she was looking forward to working with local residents and other stakeholders over the next two and a half years.

“These Information Days allow people to come to us with their questions about the potential impact of an offshore wind farm and have provided an opportunity for informative discussion,” she said. “This marks the beginnings of a dialogue with our key stakeholders and we really value their input. Others who attended were enthusiastic that we are looking to a sustainable future for Northern Ireland by embracing renewable energy.

“We would also encourage people to complete our questionnaire to ensure that we are doing enough to consult them and to provide them with up to date information as the project progresses.

“We very much appreciate everyone who has made the effort to come along so far and we encourage anyone to get in touch or access First Flight Wind information at one of the 17 local information Points, on our website www.firstflightwind.com, or through our Twitter or Facebook pages.”