Appeal bid whips up fresh turbine storm
The battle to build towering wind turbines in the Afan Valley is threatening to blow up a storm once more.
Eco2 has appealed against Neath Port Talbot Council’s decision to block its plans to put up four of the giant metal structures on Mynydd Corrwg Fechan, overlooking Glyncorrwg.
It means a public inquiry will be heard on the matter by an Assembly planning inspector in the new year.
At 125 metres tall, the turbines would be some of the biggest in Wales, around 34 metres taller than those already in place at Ffynnon Oer in the same valley.
The developer claimed they would have generated up to 12 megawatts — enough electricity to power nearly 7,500 households in the area.
But in December last year, to the delight of local campaigners, Neath Port Talbot Council refused Eco2 planning permission for the scheme. Officers suggested the amount of energy they would have produced meant it was not worth ruining the landscape to put them up.
Head of planning Geoff White also warned that approving the project might make it more difficult for other, larger wind farms to go up in less intrusive places.
Apart from the turbines, which would have been just 110 metres from a public right of way and about 1km from the nearest home, Cardiff-based Eco2 also wanted to put up a wind monitoring mast, lay new access tracks, and construct a substation and control building.
The plans sparked widespread protests from the surrounding community and local politicians. The council received 291 letters of objection listing 51 reasons for opposition, as well as a petition signed by 1,238 people.
Glyncorrwg Action Group, which was set up to fight the scheme, say they hope the Assembly inspector sees sense.
“We hope the inspector will stand by the council’s decision,” said group spokesman Bob Slater. “We think it’s a ridiculous place to put 400 foot turbines.”
Time is fast running out for anyone wishing to make written representations ahead of the inquiry.
An Assembly spokesman said: “Interested persons wish to make written representations on the appeal, they should do so no later than Tuesday.”
They should quote reference number Y6930/A/08/2066014 in any correspondence.
Meanwhile, Neath Port Talbot continues to attract the interest of renewable energy firms. This month alone, the county council has published details of a further six planning applications for wind speed measuring masts at various sites.
3 October 2008
The copyright of this article is owned by the author or publisher indicated. Its availability here constitutes a "fair use" as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law as well as in similar "fair dealing" exceptions of the copyright laws of other nations, as part of National Wind Watch's effort to advance understanding of the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development. For more information, click here.
Blog it:
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
|
