The White Cross team recognises tourism is of vital importance to the local economy in North Devon.
During our initial public consultation we listened to concerns about how tourism businesses might be affected. We are putting in place measures to make sure our work causes as little disruption as possible during times of the year when the area is busy with visitors.
We will
Schedule as much of the work as possible to happen outside the main tourist season
Scale down our use of Saunton Sands car park to the minimum
Compensate businesses which lose income as a direct result of the work
Saunton Sands beach will remain open throughout construction
An independent assessment has confirmed that only a small number of businesses around the cable route at Saunton Sands and the Taw Torridge estuary will be directly affected.
The work in this area is likely to be completed in less than a year, and there will be a compensation scheme in place.
Access to Braunton Burrows, Saunton Golf Club and the South West Coast Path will not be affected by the project.
Surfing brings a lot of visitors to Saunton Sands and the nearby beaches, and we commissioned a wave study to check how the offshore wind farm might affect the surf. The study found no noticeable changes to the waves as a result of the proposed windfarm. To see the study, read Chapter 8 Marine and Physical Processes (Appendix A) of our Offshore application.
The White Cross project is committed to being a good neighbour and will work closely with the local business community throughout the cable work.
