Global corporation Electricite de France (commonly known as EDF Energy), a backer of the controversial Navitus Bay wind farm, is facing a backlash from local Bournemouth businesses.
Bournemouth Tourism Management Board (BTMB) has condemned EDF Energy’s plan to build one of the world’s largest off shore wind farms in Poole Bay as ‘irresponsible and shameless commercial exploitation’ of a unique location. BTMB is furious that EDF Energy is completely disregarding the environmental and consequential economic impact on the local area and refusing to compensate for the multi-million pound damage local businesses face.
BTMB’s new Chairman Des Simmons, Managing Director of Bournecoast Limited said:
“It is totally unacceptable that Navitus Bay’s consortium led by Electricite de France (EDF Energy) is refusing to acknowledge or meet its environmental and economic obligations. It wants to turn England’s beautiful, unspoilt Poole Bay into an industrial landscape and destroy Bournemouth’s vital tourism business to boot. The only reason for building the vast wind farm so close to shore is for EDF Energy and its Dutch partner Eneco to save money and profiteer.
“To rub salt into the wound they are not even prepared to discuss compensation with the tourism businesses around Poole Bay for the massive loss in income that Navitus Bay’s own research is predicting. They are compensating fishermen as well as boat and dive charter companies, why not other tourism businesses?”
BTMB has demanded a marketing budget of £15million per annum to win back the £100 million lost tourism business caused by a downturn of between 20 to 32 per cent of visitors to the area – predicted by Navitus Bay itself. Despite its own research, Navitus Bay is refusing to accept that there will be any financial loss to tourist dependent businesses in Bournemouth, and has not offered a single £ in the form of compensation to the industry.
Bournemouth Tourism Management Board has pledged to continue its fight to save the 2,500 jobs that will be lost across all business sectors in Bournemouth during the five years of construction. It has accused Navitus Bay of blatant propaganda in its claim of the number of jobs that the wind farm will create. In reality, for every one job that Navitus Bay would create, at least ten local jobs would be lost.
BTMB Vice Chairman, John Green, Managing Director of Hot Rocks restaurant commented:
“Bournemouth depends upon a thriving tourism business. It is totally irresponsible for a major international company like EDF Energy to contemplate such reckless action at the expense of local Dorset and Hampshire businesses. Such negligent action will leave Bournemouth picking up the pieces for the mass job losses that Navitus Bay will irrefutably cause. It is wrong to do this in the name of UK environmental improvement. It is clearly done for wrong reasons, especially when profits generated from the project will not benefit the UK economy.”
Bournemouth Tourism Management Board is currently working with local businesses and the community to highlight the severity of the problems that will be caused by Britain’s largest electricity supplier, Electricite De France (EDF Energy), if the scheme goes ahead. Further information will be announced shortly.
In the meantime the Chairman of Bournemouth Tourism Management Board, the Leader of Bournemouth Borough Council and local MPs have already made a direct plea to the Chief Executive of Electricite de France (EDF Energy) Vincent de Rivaz to reconsider its commitment to Navitus Bay in light of the negative impact it will have on the Dorset coast and environment.
Andrew Woodland
