A GERMAN television company has turned the spotlight on Ilfracombe for a documentary about the proposed offshore wind farm.

Public broadcaster ZDF, based in Mainz, was filming in Ilfracombe, to find out about the impact the Atlantic Array would have locally.

Their interest was sparked by the German-owned company RWE npower renewables, which has been awarded the £4 billion contract to build the Array in the Bristol Channel.

The development will consist of 250 turbines and have an output of 1,500MW — enough to power up to one million homes.

Once preparatory work, including wildlife and fishing surveys have been completed, on-land construction is expected to begin in 2012.

Ilfracombe harbourmaster Rob Lawson and county councillor Geoff Fowler were among those interviewed for the documentary.

Lt Cmdr Lawson said: "As I understand it, the Germans no longer build wind farms on land or offshore. It seems German people have risen up against them and don't want them. So the TV company were following a lead about a German company which is building wind farms elsewhere in the world.

"They wanted to know how local people felt about it — the positive and the negative sides. I talked to them about the positives — the economic impact and how it could bring jobs to the area. And they wanted to know about the impact it would have on the harbour.

"Then they wanted to talk to some angry fishermen, so I pointed them in the right direction and off they went."

Producer Mo Davies from ZDF confirmed: "We were interested in local reaction to the proposed offshore wind farm and spoke to lots of people, including councillors, a yachtsman and fishermen — and of those we spoke to, there seemed to be a two-to-one feeling in favour of development."