A FOURTEEN-KILOMETRE ‘scar’ has been cut into the landscape of the South Downs National Park.

At twelve metres wide, the score digs into the ground and is easily visible from Google Maps.

It is a result of the Rampion Wind Farm, which lies almost 13 kilometres off the Sussex coast.

Owned by energy company E.on, the offshore wind farm hopes to provide enough energy to power 347,000 homes through cables built to the Rampion substations in Bolney and Twineham more than 30 kilometres away.

This meant cabling had to be fitted to surface from the ocean floor and cut through National Park land - in order to avoid work disrupting major towns.

Environmental groups have stressed that the park must be restored to its former glory.

A spokesperson for the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) said: “As the cable crosses the South Downs National Park’s protected landscape it’s important that the route is restored to the highest possible standard.”

The cables currently disrupt protected land from Sompting all the way to Upper Beeding.

However, E.on has described the scar as temporary as they work toward solutions.

But this could prove difficult, as part of the South Downs is made up of a number of terrains - including a chalk grassland which is incredibly fragile when disrupted.

The claims came to light in a documentary by Life Water TV, a YouTube channel set up by Brighton ethical bottled water company, LifeWater, which is owned by Simon Konecki, the husband of singer Adele.

E.on has worked with the SDNPA to replace turf on fragile chalk grassland as soon as work was completed.

E.on also told The Argus has promised to restore the land back to its former state withing 12 months of completion of the wind farm.

It is also working with the SDNPA on a ten-year monitoring and survey programme to make sure the habitat returns, as much as possible, to its previous condition.

The energy company is adamant this option was the least invasive way to provide renewable energy - which could have seen the company instead installing overhead pylons.

With part of the route being private farmland, which E.on has paid to use, The Argus was told the terrain will quickly return to pasture or crops when the soil is completely returned.

A spokesman for E.on said: “It is worth pointing out that construction on the wind farm is still going on and the visual impact on the South Downs will be entirely temporary.

“Reinstatement works will be completed in 12 months and we have a ten-year commitment to making sure the reinstatement is successful for the long term.

“Our efforts have even extended to working with the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew to capture seeds from the original plants in these areas so we can restore the original habitat following construction.”