Fareham councillor stands by decision to grant permission for IFA2

People at the meeting at which the IFA2 interconnector plan was approved

So says Councillor Trevor Cartwright, who was one of seven councillors to back National Grid’s proposals and grant planning permission for the £500m interconnector station at the former airfield in Lee-on-the-Solent.

He was speaking yesterday as French energy regulator CRE gave consent for French energy company RTE to move ahead with the project despite previous concerns that the fallout from Brexit would have a lasting impact on the proposals.

Cllr Cartwright, who is also deputy leader of the council, proposed the plans be accepted at the meeting and stands by the decision.

He told The News: ‘I back the plans for the interconnector and when you look at the officer reports and see the amount of work that had gone on ahead of the decision, it really helped.’

Cllr Cartwright added: ‘The important thing to note is that all of the key elements of this decision, such as the noise it will make and size of the building, will come back to us to decide.

‘We can make sure that it conforms to our planning laws and safeguard those that could be affected.’

Two councillors, Roger Price and Jon Butts, opposed the plans.

Cllr Price said after the meeting that the UK should not be relying on electricity from other countries to solve its energy crisis.

Outline planning permission for the 22m-high station and full planning permission for subsea cables between the UK and France was granted by Fareham Borough Council at a meeting of its planning committee in Ferneham Hall on Monday.

Around 300 people were present to watch the decision being made with 15 deputations voiced against the proposals and two in favour.

Campaigners have made pleas for the decision to be ‘called in’ and scrutinised by Sajid David, the cabinet  secretary for local government. National Grid will submit full plans for the converter station later this year.