County Down Coast Wind Farm To Be Discussed

Plans for a new wind farm off the south east coast of County Down are to be discussed at a meeting in Newcastle later on Wednesday.

Earlier this month, First Flight Wind business consortium was granted a licence by the Crown Estate to develop an offshore wind farm in the area.

The exact location has not yet been decided, and could be anywhere from the Ards Peninsula to Carlingford Lough.

The consortium has invited over 100 local representatives to the meeting.

They include politicians and business and community leaders from across east County Down.

The meeting, at the Slieve Donard Hotel, has been organised by First Flight Wind to "outline the proposed programme of community consultation".

The plans for the wind farm are very much at the initial stage and it could take over a decade to bring the project to completion.

Before that, it will be subject to a public consultation and Wednesday's meeting is aimed at trying to establish how that process of engagement should proceed.

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