September 14, 2006
U.K.

'We don't want a wind farm'

icnetwork.co.uk

Kate Corney, Neath Guardian

Community leaders have spoken out against plans for a wind farm in Glynneath.

Plans were submitted on Monday to Neath Port Talbot Council for the development of the wind farm on Maesgwyn Mountain, north-west of the town.

Pennant Walters, of Hirwaun, wants to build a 45MW wind farm consisting of 15 turbines with masts, substation and infrastructure.

Improvements will also be made to the existing A 4109 road to the Maesgwyn site.

Glynneath town councillors want to set up a public meeting to discuss the proposal.

Lady Mayor of Glynneath, Delyth Scourfield, said: ‘We’re here to reflect the views of the community, and people have expressed the unfairness of the balance of these things coming our way. The burden of wind farms is falling here and we want to know why.’

Byron James, councillor for the west ward Lamb and Flag area, said no one has spoken in support of wind farms since he started holding fortnightly meetings on the subject six months ago.

He said: ‘The consensus of opinion of the people I represent is against the wind farm.

‘The Vale of Neath is a beautiful place but it will be spoilt by these turbines. We can only act as a pressure point. We will be arranging a public debate on this’.

Glynneath councillor Edward Jones, who has worked in the electronics industry for 40 years, is unconvinced by wind-farm technology.

He said: ‘Wind turbines are inefficient, they need to be synchronised to feed the mains but that’s very difficult – they might be turning around but not actually doing anything.’

Neath Port Talbot councillor for Glynneath, Del Morgan, said he has been instructed by the council not to say much about the application, but he wanted to express the views of people in Glynneath.

He said: ‘I agree with the idea of planning a limited number of wind farms in Wales but spaced out across the country, not clustered in a small number of areas.

‘Most of the problems we now face come as a result of the National Assembly’s Technical Advice Note 8 on energy – the notorious TAN 8,’ he said.

‘I believe it is highly flawed and should be scrapped immediately.’


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2006/09/14/we-dont-want-a-wind-farm/