The refurbishment of six public viewing telescopes along the Sussex coastline has been funded by Rampion Offshore Wind Farm, restoring them to a high standard for local residents and visitors to enjoy.
The telescopes were originally installed in 2017 as part of the Rampion community funding initiative. The units were provided to the local authorities in Worthing, Lancing, Shoreham (Adur), Rottingdean, Seaford and Newhaven, giving the public an opportunity to enjoy clear views of the offshore wind farm from key coastal locations.
Rampion consists of 116 wind turbines located 13km off the Sussex coast and is operated by RWE on behalf of the project joint venture with Enbridge and Equitix.
“As part of our commitment to being a good neighbour, Rampion created a £4 million community package, including providing the telescopes, the Rampion Visitor Centre on Brighton seafront, and a £3.1million Community Fund, which provides grants to Sussex community groups each year,” said Katie Scanlan Hough, Rampion Stakeholder & Visitor Centre Manager.
“The telescopes are an enjoyable addition to the coastline, offering great views out to the wind farm and a fun focus for walkers who wish to get a closer look at the turbines, which create enough energy to power the equivalent of 409,000 homes.”
After eight years of continuous use in challenging coastal conditions, Tourist Telescopes was commissioned to undertake a comprehensive refurbishment programme which is now complete. The work included full service inspections, replacement of optical components, installation of new signage and repainting of the telescope housings, which had experienced significant wear from exposure to the elements.
During the works, Tourist Telescopes’ engineer received a number of positive comments from local residents, highlighting the popularity of the telescopes and their value to the community.
“We are delighted to have restored these telescopes and extend their service life,” said Wendy Fairman, Partner, Tourist Telescopes. “It was particularly rewarding to hear positive feedback from local people while the work was being carried out. We hope that both residents and visitors will continue to enjoy using the telescopes to view the Rampion Wind Farm and appreciate the unique coastal landscape.”
The refurbished telescopes are now fully operational and free for the public to use across all six locations:
Worthing On the promenade in front of Denton Gardens, BN11 3ET
Shoreham On beach path near Ferry Road, BN43 5YJ
Lancing Near ‘The Perch’, Lancing Beach Green, BN15 8RA
Rottingdean Near Highcliff Court, BN2 7JP
Newhaven At the top of Fort Hill, by the Coastguards Lookout, BN9 9DS
Seaford Esplanade, near St. John’s Road, BN25 1JP