Views sought on £500m Fareham to France seabed electric cable

An artist's impression of the interconnector convertor building which could be build at Daedalus airfield

Residents have been asked to comment on plans for a seabed electricity cable between Hampshire and Normandy, France.

IFA2 - a £500m National Grid scheme - would see 120 miles (200km) of cable laid to link power systems of the two countries.

It would also see a 22m (72ft) high convertor station built at Daedalus Airfield in Fareham.

Fareham Borough Council said it agreed in principal to lease the land to the National Grid on Monday.

Councillor Seán Woodward, the leader of Fareham Borough Council, said: "If we don't do something to preserve electricity supplies we're told the lights could go out from 2020."

The plans would see a converter station built at Daedalus Airfield

The high voltage direct current (HVDC) project would allow both countries to exchange enough power for one million homes, according to National Grid.

Residents can view the plans at a series of public exhibitions.

A planning application for the scheme is expected to be submitted in March.

Work would start in 2018 with the electricity interconnector up and running by 2020.

IFA2 is a joint project between French power transmission operator Réseau de Transport d'Electricité (RTE) and National Grid International Limited (NGIL), a subsidiary of National Grid.