Three years ago, my wife and I visited Cardigan Island Farm Park, as we were keen to meet the owner Lyn Jenkins, who has campaigned, like myself, to expose the inadequacies of wind turbines. We had a warm welcome, enjoyed the views, saw dolphins and seals, and also the attractions within the farm park having paid the modest entry fee.
In August 2007, we visited again. We were fascinated by the addition of the spacious visitor centre. These are the only two occasions I’ve met Mr Jenkins. I follow his letters in newspapers and I’m baffled as to why Ceredigion Council and the Assembly seek to destroy his business by allowing a free entry access by creating a right of way right through the farm park.
As a councillor myself, I’m at a loss to understand as to why Cardigan Town Council, local county councillors, AMs and the MP are not fighting on behalf of Mr Jenkins’s business.
On the two occasions that we visited, we went into Cardigan town. We bought a meal each time, plus a few things in the shops and market, and petrol in a filling station, probably spending about £30 on each visit.
I understand that Cardigan Island Farm Park attracts over 25,000 visitors a year, so if just 10,000 of those go into town and spend £25, that’s £250,000 per year that Mr Jenkins’s farm park brings to the economy of Cardigan. The mind boggles as to why local councils and politicians so desperately want to fold up this major tourist attraction.
Is it because of his past letters challenging wind turbines, which are so beloved by politicians in Ceredigion? Has he rubbed up these politicians the wrong way? Something does not add up here. If Mr Jenkins had his farm park on Gower, we would fight tooth and nail to support him.
I’m writing because I believe in fair play and that such a business needs to survive. I think the politicians who condemn it need to be ousted in the May 2008 elections. as they obviously do not care for the West Wales economy, or for the people who depend on that economy.
Councillor Ioan M. Richard
Mountain Road, Craigcefnparc, Swansea
2 January 2008
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/02/fair-play-is-absent/