The Windfarm Cable Route: A £450 Million Mistake We Can Still Stop

By Peter Collins – Independent Candidate for Fylde East

Renewable energy is essential. No one’s arguing with that. But how we deliver it—where, how, and at what cost—matters just as much.

What’s currently being proposed by BP and its partners in the Morgan and Morecambe offshore windfarm project is not just flawed—it’s wasteful, destructive, and completely avoidable.

Let’s be clear: this is not a fight against wind energy. This is a fight against poor planning, environmental damage, and £450 million of unnecessary spending.

What’s Being Proposed – And Why It’s a Problem

BP’s current plan involves a 28km-long underground cable route from the Irish Sea, through the heart of Fylde, down to Penwortham. It slices through 600 acres of greenbelt, disrupts homes, farms, care homes, and schools, and puts communities through up to 10 years of construction, road closures, noise, and dust.

The consequences would be catastrophic:

🚫 Care homes isolated during construction

🚫 Coastline and dunes destroyed, undermining our natural flood defences

🚫 Tourism hit hard, with beaches closed and access restricted

🚫 Roads closed, traffic disrupted, commuters and emergency services affected🚫 Farming land ruined, concrete poured into the ground, natural drainage blocked

🚫 House prices plummet due to prolonged disruption and proximity to substations

And all of this is being sold to the public under the guise of a “green energy revolution”. But it’s not green if it trashes our environment, and it’s not smart if it costs hundreds of millions more than it should.

There Is a Better Way – And We’ve Done the Work

I chair the Energy Working Group of the Lancashire Association of Local Councils (LALC). Our job was to scrutinise this proposal, explore alternatives, and find a better route—and we did. We identified and promoted a far more sensible solution: a route through the Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone and Stanah corridor.

This alternative:

✅ Avoids the destruction of greenbelt and rural farmland

✅ Uses existing industrial land and pylons

✅ Cuts the required underground cabling by 28km

✅ Delivers the same power, faster, for £400–£450 million less

✅ Is fully compliant with national grid and environmental planning frameworks

✅ Supports economic development at Hillhouse TEZ

Let’s be blunt—this route is cheaper, faster, and far less damaging.

And yet BP has ignored it.

Why Won’t They Take the Smarter Option?

That’s the question I keep asking.

We’ve submitted detailed technical evidence to the Planning Inspectorate. We’ve briefed both the Conservative MP for Fylde and the Labour MP for Blackpool North. We’ve gone through the process properly, by the book.

And still—no action, no change, no meaningful consultation.

The truth is, BP’s route may suit their business model better. But it does not suit the people who live here. This is a plan designed for profit—not for people, and certainly not for Fylde.

Where Are the Party Politicians?

They’ve been disturbingly silent.

The Conservatives, who’ve had every opportunity to oppose this plan and speak up for our communities, have done nothing.

Labour have offered no alternative, no challenge, no serious scrutiny.

Reform UK talk about scrapping net zero and bringing back fracking—which tells you all you need to know about their environmental priorities.

Meanwhile, residents are being kept in the dark, and the most impacted communities have had zero voice in shaping the plan.

My Statement: It’s Time for Action, Not Excuses

“This isn’t a green energy plan – it’s a greenwashed land grab. BP’s proposed route is reckless, wasteful, and completely avoidable. We’re being told this is about sustainability, yet the reality is £450 million in unnecessary costs and the destruction of 600 acres of countryside. That’s not sustainable – that’s scandalous. Fylde is not a dumping ground for poor planning and corporate shortcuts. Our communities deserve better than to be sacrificed for profit. No one in Fylde opposes renewable energy. What we oppose is bad planning, environmental destruction, and being forced to live with the consequences of decisions we didn’t make. I’ve fought this from the start. I’ll continue fighting for the smarter route, for transparency, and for local people to be heard. This route is not a done deal—and we mustn’t let it become one.” – Peter Collins, Independent Candidate for Fylde East

What You Can Do

🗳 Vote Independent on 1 May 2025 – Don’t reward silence or party loyalty. Vote for someone who’s actually challenging this.

📣 Spread the word – Most residents don’t know what’s coming. We need to change that.

✍️ Submit your concerns – Public consultations and inspectorate hearings matter. Make your voice heard.

Fylde Deserves Better

We all want to see a greener future—but not at the cost of our communities, our homes, and our health.

This isn’t just a policy debate—it’s personal. If this cable goes ahead as planned, people will lose their quality of life. Land will be permanently damaged. And we’ll all pay the price for a project that could be done better.

So let’s make it clear:

This isn’t anti-renewables.

This is pro-community, pro-common sense, and pro-Fylde.

🗳 Vote Peter Collins on May 1st – Independent for Fylde East

📧 petercollins4568@aol.com | 📞 07429 094940

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