Rampion: Calling all Onshore Receptors

Hello and welcome to my blog. It's great to see you again.

The sun popped out last weekend and Shoreham Beach instantly reverted to holiday mode. Sadly, Tom and I couldn't join in the fun as we were marching around Sussex Wharf delivering leaflets on the forthcoming Military History Weekend and Passion for Shoreham.  He'd had enough of leafletting  by the time we reached the playground, so he unceremoniously abandoned me for the climbing frame.

This week is half term so I haven't been able to do a Vlog, but the intermission will give me time to respond to feedback and return with a re-vamped, re-vamp.

Well, this week, I promised to look at the potential impact of noise and vibration on us, Onshore Receptors, of the proposed Rampion Offshore Wind Farm. Thankfully, this assessment was a fifth the size of the visual impact assessment and it contained lots of comforting words like, "minor," "negligible," and "not significant."

The assessment looks at the three phases of the wind farm's development.

Phase 1: the construction phase. 

• Duration - 4 years.
• Vibration - negligible to major, meaning an intolerable level of vibration when the works are close to buildings.
• Noise - negligible to minor, meaning a short-term increase in existing noise levels. 

Phase 2: the operational phase.

• Duration - 20 - 50 years depending on the operators.
• Vibration - not considered. 
• Noise from the substation - moderate to major so noise control measures such as noise barriers or enclosures, would have to be incorporated into the substation design. 
• Noise from the wind turbines - negligible

The potential noise impact on residents of Twineham Court Farm, The Coach House, Coombe Farm, Coombe House, Dawe's Farm, Eastridge Lodge and Westridge Place, is specifically mentioned, so if you live nearby you may want to knock on their door and tell them that they're famous.

Phase 3: the decommissioning phase.

• Duration - unknown.
• Vibration - negligible to major, meaning an intolerable level of vibration when the works are close to buildings.
• Noise - negligible to minor, meaning a short-term increase in existing noise levels. 

Talking of noise, tomorrow the Adur Festival kicks off with music at Ropetackle and a cannon firing at our own Fort's Military History Weekend.

For the last few months, the Friends of Shoreham Fort have been preparing for their biggest annual event and last Sunday, (after being persuaded to come down from the climbing frame), Tom was put through his paces on the parade ground.

June weekends will be busy here on the Beach,  for after the Military History Weekend we've got  Beach Dreams, (8th - 9th June), followed by the Passion for Shoreham, (14th - 16th June). All the events are free so bring a picnic and come and join in.

Next week I'll cover the potential impact of Rampion on telecommunications, and if I get my make-up, lighting, background, content and feel right, they'll also be a Vlog.

Have a great week and see you next Tuesday.

Ta-ra for now.