Following many months of uncertainty, Rampion 2 have recently made the very welcome decision not to site their new substation in the Bolney/Twineham area. This is really wonderful news for Mid Sussex constituents and those nearby in particular.
As a result of the planned extension of their offshore wind farm, a new substation is required to connect to the national grid, of which the existing Bolney substation plays a vital role. Rampion 2 had shortlisted the Bolney Road/Kent Street and Wineham Lane North site alongside the Oakendene Industrial Estate site, east of Cowfold as the final 2 sites for consideration.
Many residents and elected representatives approached me with their extreme concerns about the further deep impact of placing another substation in the Bolney/Twineham area. I am also aware they too actively engaged with the Rampion 2 consultation processes. Having met with the Rampion 2 Team on a number of occasions to highlight these significant local concerns for this site, I’m delighted to confirm Rampion 2 have listened, following this and local community consultation, engineering and environmental studies, and will proceed with the alternative Oakendene site.
Having strong local voices in Mid Sussex is absolutely vital to challenging proposals such as this one. This means we can protect our villages, ecosystems and biodiversity, our precious landscapes and farming land within our rural communities whilst balancing environmental action. It’s vital we work together to keep Mid Sussex special, and my thanks goes out to everyone who added their voice during this process to help achieve this great outcome.