Survey work is beginning this week on a major cross-Channel power project, which is set to pass through Budleigh.

As was revealed last month, the FAB project is planning to lay a 220km cable from France, via Alderney in the Channel Islands, which will reach the British mainland at Budleigh beach.

The cable would be installed by digging down through Lime Kiln car park, and out under the beach, to pick up the cable, which will be laid a metre below the seabed.

If the scheme is approved, work could take place in Budleigh in 2018, but before that can happen, project leaders need to survey the route, and work to do this has now begun.

Four vessels will be surveying the offshore route during the next 10 weeks, 24 hours a day, and other vessels have been asked to leave a one-nautical-mile distance around them.

On land, fishermen have been asked not to leave any static fishing equipment within 250 metres of the route.

If the survey goes well, there will be a full public consultation about the plan next year.

If installed, the cable will have the capacity to carry 1400MW of electricity – more than the capacity of Hinkley Power Station.