THE developer behind the planned wind farm for the Hampshire coast has submitted plans for a lesser scheme.

Navitus Bay Development Ltd put forward the smaller proposals that would mean fewer turbines situated further from the shore.

However the firm tonight insisted it was still “fully committed” to its original proposal, which would see up to 194 turbines, as high as 200 metres, situated 13 miles from Bournemouth and Poole and nine from Swanage.

The Planning Inspectorate is continuing to examine the plans for Navitus Bay, during which it asked the company if it was likely to submit a smaller proposal NBDL confirmed that the alternative plan would have a maximum of 105 turbines and would be 11 miles out to sea at their closest point from shore.

Revealing the new plan, Mike Unsworth, Navitus Bay project director, said that it had the potential to generate electricity for 700,000 UK households, would create a minimum of 1,700 jobs during construction and inject up to £1.6 billion into the economy.

“This option does not replace the original proposal, to which we remain fully committed; however, it provides the examining panel and the Secretary of State with a second option which reduces certain impacts of the scheme.

“We believe that the original larger 970MW scheme, as well as the reduced option, would both make an important contribution to the UK's energy mix and its renewable energy and carbon reduction targets.