BUSINESSES and councils are in North Devon are already preparing to embrace the opportunities that the Atlantic Array could bring to the region.

And while Ilfracombe conceded that it is not in a position to accommodate the huge vessels and lorries needed during construction — the project is being seen as a catalyst for harbour development.

Paul Yabsley, district councillor and chairman of the Harbour Board, said: "We can't accommodate the massive vessels, because we don't have the northern breakwater for berthing anything like this yet — but that's the way that Ilfracombe is going to have to develop and the council, along with the Joint Development Team (JDT) at North Devon+ is working very hard to put together a funding package to make this happen. It won't be provided through a single funder, so we are looking at various agencies that could help. There's nothing to announce on this yet, but we are exploring all the possibilities."

A northern breakwater has long been seen as an important part of the harbour development, as it will make ferry docking much easier — possibly for car ferries — and aid the passage of cruise ship passengers visiting the town.

Cllr Yabsley added: "The Atlantic Array is an excellent reason for us to be giving this a big push. It could bring a great number of jobs to Ilfracombe, which is what we want to see. It's the driver behind all this."