Consultation starts on wind farm off Devon coast

A planning application is expected to be submitted by the developers in 2012

A public consultation has begun into a massive offshore wind farm planned for off the coast of north Devon.

RWE npower renewables, the developers of the Atlantic Array, has said up to 417 turbines would provide enough electricity to power 1.1m households.

The turbines would cover an area of sea similar in size to the Isle of Wight.

They will be sited about 10 miles (16km) off the south Wales coast and 8.7 miles (14km) off north Devon.

An exhibition of the proposals will be held at Abbotsham Village Hall on 10 September, Lovacott Village Hall in Newton Tracey on 11 September, The Royal Britannia, in Ilfracombe, on 15 September, Croyde Village Hall on 16 September, The Castle Centre, in Barnstaple, on 17 September and Bideford College on 18 September.

Members of the Atlantic Array project team will also be on hand to answer questions.

An application for a development consent order is expected to be submitted in 2012 to the Infrastructure Planning Commission, the independent body that examines applications for nationally significant infrastructure projects.

Consultation forms are at the RWE website and must be completed by 17:00 GMT on 10 November 2011.