A public consultation has opened into an application to build one of the world's largest offshore wind farms off the north Norfolk coast.

Eastern Daily Press: Map of underground cable corridors for the Vattenfall (blue line) and Orsted (red line) offshore wind farms. Image: ArchantMap of underground cable corridors for the Vattenfall (blue line) and Orsted (red line) offshore wind farms. Image: Archant (Image: Archant)

Swedish energy company Vattenfall submitted their application for a development consent order for the Norfolk Vanguard project to the planning inspectorate on Tuesday, June 26.

The application, which is a project of national significance, was accepted for examination a month later, on Tuesday, July 24.

And now the public have been invited to give their views on the plans, with copies of the application being made public at locations across Norfolk from Friday, August 3..

If the project is granted the go ahead, the county could see up to 200 wind turbines built 50km east of the coast at Happisburgh, where Vattenfall are planning two wind farms, Vanguard and Boreas.

Eastern Daily Press: The sun rises as turbine towers are installed on the Galloper offshore wind farm. Picture: InnogyThe sun rises as turbine towers are installed on the Galloper offshore wind farm. Picture: Innogy (Image: Archant)

A cable corridor will also be dug from Happisburgh to Necton to connect the offshore wind farm to the National Grid.

The company have said they will not contribute any financial support towards beach defences at Happisburgh, where coastal erosion is weakening the cliffs.

Copies of the application, plans and maps of the proposed site have been made available to view free of charge at the following locations from Friday, August 3 to Sunday, September 16:

Dereham Library, 59 High Street, Dereham, NR19 1DZ, open Mon - Fri, 9.30am - 7pm, Sat, 9.30am - 4pm.

North Norfolk District Council Offices, Holt Road, Cromer, NR27 9EN, open Mon, Tues, Thurs, 8.30am - 5pm, Weds, 10am - 5pm, Fri, 8.30am - 4.30pm.

Copies of the application on USBs are also free to view from Friday, August 3 to Sunday, September 16, at:

Aylsham Library;

Dereham Library;

Norwich Millenium Library,

North Walsham Library,

North Norfolk District Council,

Broadland District Council,

Breckland District Council,

Norwich City Council,

Great Yarmouth Borough Council.

They can also be viewed online.

Anyone wishing to submit a response to the application should visit: http://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/Eastern/Norfolk-Vanguard/

All responses must be received by the planning inspectorate by Sunday, September 16.

Ruari Lean, project manager for Norfolk Vanguard said: "After more than 20 months of talking to people and organisations about the Norfolk Vanguard Offshore Wind Farm project, we have submitted our proposal for an environmentally friendly, next-generation, low cost, economy boosting project to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS).

"Norfolk Vanguard is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project and the application has been accepted by PINS to enter the examination phase.

"We invite everyone to review our final proposal, which has been published on the PINS website.

"Notices about the pre-examination phase of the process are now being published and interested parties can provide further information to PINS."