Yorkshire coast looks to 'new dawn'

Paul Jeeves

A POWERFUL committee of senior councillors and council directors is being launched to capitalise on the arrival of the multi-billion pound off-shore wind farm industry which has been heralded as a “new dawn” for the Yorkshire coast’s economy.

A project board is due to be created by the end of the year to help lay the foundations for the arrival of what is due to be the world’s largest off-shore wind farm at Dogger Bank, 80 miles off the Yorkshire coast.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The massive wind farm, which is expected to include up to 2,600 giant 400ft turbines, will cover more than 3,300 sq miles – equivalent to the size of North Yorkshire, England’s largest county.

Efforts are now under way to ensure that the region exploits the full potential of the new industry, with North Yorkshire’s coastal towns seen as key to providing the vital service support for the wind farm.

North Yorkshire County Council’s leader John Weighell claimed yesterday that the new industry would transform the coastal economy, and help counter significant pockets of deprivation in towns such as Scarborough and Whitby.

There is a heavy reliance on the tourism sector along the Yorkshire coast, which has created major problems with seasonal unemployment during the winter months – although the arrival of off-shore wind farms is expected to provide jobs all year round.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Coun Weighell said: “If it is handled properly, the wind farm industry can be the real difference economically that places like Scarborough have been looking for. It could spell a new dawn for the Yorkshire coast’s economy, and the employment prospects are enormous.

“We have got to recognise that this is bigger than just North Yorkshire, it will benefit the whole region. But we want to make sure that there is a direction in North Yorkshire to seize the moment, and that is why we are creating the project board.”

Proposals for the new committee were agreed yesterday during a summit meeting of senior representatives from North Yorkshire County Council and Scarborough Borough Council.

Officers and senior councillors from both authorities will work with regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward on a strategy to establish the wind farm service support industry centred on Whitby and Scarborough.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Scarborough Borough Council’s portfolio holder for the environment, projects and coastal and flood defences, Andrew Backhouse, who was at yesterday’s meeting, confirmed that nearly 100 acres of land was available for development on business parks in both towns.

He also claimed that the region’s colleges could develop bespoke courses tailored to supporting the wind farm industry, which would help prevent the “brain drain” of talent from the coast and rural areas to Britain’s major cities.

Coun Backhouse added: “It is a huge opportunity, and the potential providers for the wind farms have indicated that they will look to recruit the workforce locally.

“This will mean that there is the potential to secure long-term employment, and stop young people looking elsewhere for their careers.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Earlier this year, the Government announced plans for a massive expansion of off-shore energy production around the British coast, including vast wind farms near Hornsea and Dogger Bank.

The Yorkshire Post is campaigning for the huge new construction and service industry supplying the wind farms to be located in the region, at port locations along the Humber and the coast.

A total of nine zones are to be developed in UK waters by 2020 as part of the Crown Estate’s programme to generate 32GW, enough to meet a quarter of the country’s electricity needs.