Cowfold farmer fears plans for 'royal woodland' will be wrecked by Rampion wind farm

That’s the fear of landowner Ralph Dickson who has spent the past 18 months planning to plant thousands of trees on 70 acres of his land at Ridgelands Farm in Kent Street, Cowfold, as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy project to mark the late monarch’s Platinum Jubilee.

But the farmland has been chosen by Rampion 2 offshore wind farm as an underground cabling route for a new onshore electricity substation which would enable its connection to the national electricity network.

"The Rampion wind farm cable route will totally destroy the project,” said Ralph.”I’ve been in communication with them and made it clear through my agent that there is no compromise.

"We have told them that they are not going across the land. There is no negotiation to be done. If the Queen’s Canopy is going to be there, their cables are not going through.

"The planting of the wood is down to me. I am not going to share my wood with Rampion. This is an almost sacred project and I am not sharing it with them.”

He said he had never met Rampion management at the Kent Street site. “I made my plans very clear in writing to Rampion well in advance of the decision to site the sub station at Oakendene (the name now chosen by Rampion for the Kent Street site).”