Green jobs lost to overseas firms

By Deborah McGurran Political Editor BBC East

Plans for thousands more of these off our coast

Greater Gabbard is a £1.3bn wind farm project off the Suffolk coast which is due to be completed by 2012.

With 140 turbines it will be the biggest offshore wind farm in the world.

At Gunfleet Sands, off Essex's Clacton- on-Sea, 48 turbines are under construction, as are Sheringham Shoal's 88 turbines in the Wash.

Despite the huge growth in green energy it has so far failed to deliver significant numbers of local jobs.

These wind farms, now under construction, are the second phase in the government's plans to develop wind power, building on expertise gained on early wind farm projects like Scroby Sands, off Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk.

Local employment

Now we can reveal that a new generation of wind farms, much larger and much further offshore will dwarf anything that has gone before.

An area of nearly 6000 square kilometres has been earmarked for up to 6000 megawatts of generating capacity, which is five times the current output of Sizewell B nuclear power station.

It will require billions of pounds in investment; the question is whether that will achieve more local employment.

Dale Vince, a former Norfolk boy, has successfully translated his hippy credentials into a thriving green energy company, Ecotricity.

Missed opportunities

It was his company which built some of the region's earliest on shore turbines at Swaffham in Norfolk.

He believes the blame lies with successive governments and that opportunities have been missed: "I think it has been a big mistake.

"It's a great shame we have got this far and don't build windmills in Britain.

"We are missing out on jobs and all sorts of other opportunities.

This is a multi million pound industry but Britain is missing out on jobs and other opportunities

"I think its all about the planning system in the UK.

"It's so hard to get consent for windmills.

"It has been a very stop and go kind of market, not the kind of market that can support manufacturing so we have been buying turbines in from abroad when we can get planning consent.

"We have just never been able to get it off the ground over here.

"The government has to change the planning system.

"John Prescott said something in the newspapers this week about it and he is absolutely right… it's a handful of NIMBYs getting in the way of wind farms and the vital progress that we need to be making."

The Politics Show with Jon Sopel and Etholle George on Sunday, 25th October at midday on BBC One.

You can us send your comments on the form below...