THE man in charge of the Navitus Bay wind farm scheme is leaving to join another project – a month ahead of the deadline for a decision.

Mike Unsworth, who has been project director of the scheme, will depart on August 7 to join the new Tidal Lagoon Project in Swansea Bay.

Mike Unsworth has led the project for the last three years, taking it through the development phase up to the point of a decision.

Mr Unsworth said: “Navitus Bay has the potential to make major, positive changes to communities right across the south coast. It’s been a fantastic project to work on for the past three years and I’m hugely proud of the progress we’ve made.

“Stuart (Grant) is the perfect person to take over as project director and nobody understands Navitus Bay better.”

Navitus Bay says Mr Grant has in-depth knowledge of the project, having worked on it since the bid stage in 2009, and has worked in partnership with Mr Unsworth since April 2012.

He has been joined by a new implementation manager, Mark Kempers, who was engineering manager on the scheme from 2010-2013.

There will be a new deputy project director, responsible for finance, joining the scheme in September.

Energy and climate change secretary Amber Rudd has until September 11 to decide on the Navitus scheme.