March 8, 2007
U.K.
U.K.
Campaigners who fought against plans for a wind farm near Brechfa are gearing up to battle it again following an appeal and new application by the firm behind the scheme.
In November 2005, the Brechfa Forest Energy Action group was jubilant when Carmarthenshire Council overturned planning permission previously granted in August of that year for 10 giant turbines at Blaengwen Farm.
It was rejected because the site is an area of special scientific interest. It was felt the development would have too big an impact on the area would go against the authority’s planning guidelines.
Before the meeting in November 2005, councillors and officers spent several hours at the site where Catamount Cymru planned a 700-acre wind farm. The application was refused by four votes to three, blocking the approval given by the council’s planning committee in August.
An appeal was launched in May last year by the applicant and another application for 10 turbines has been lodged with Carmarthenshire Council. It means the appeal is being held in abeyance until the new application is discussed.
If that application is turned down, the appeal will take place in the form of a public inquiry.
Despite no guarantee of an appeal going ahead, campaigners have just a month to submit their arguments against the plans.
Caroline Evans, of the Brechfa Forest Energy Group, said: “We will be fighting against this appeal as we fought against the planning application.
“We will be writing to the Assembly individually and as the Brechfa Forest Energy Group.”
“It will be difficult to oppose it as the planning has changed with the county council, it means the impact of a development cannot be used as an argument to oppose an application.”
She added the group has vowed to fight tooth and nail to block the plans.
“We will keep on keeping on to oppose these turbines,” she said.
By Ian Lewis
7 March 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/03/08/campaigners-set-to-fight-wind-farm-bid/