February 15, 2008
Wales
Wales
Councillors rubber-stamped their opposition to the Gwynt-y-Môr offshore windfarm at a cabinet meeting this month and called for a public inquiry into the proposal.
Last month the full council decided to continue with its original position of objecting to the scheme, which would see 200 wind turbines built by npower renewables eight miles off the shore of Llandudno.
This position was discussed by the cabinet last Thursday and the council’s opinion will now be sent to the department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, which will make the final decision on the project.
Councillors have also asked for a public inquiry and for the final decision on the windfarm to be made in Wales.
The windfarm is tipped to generate 750mw of electricity, enough to power half a million homes, but opponents fear the windfarm will have a hugely detrimental effect on the tourism industry, especially in Llandudno.
Npower was proposing to give £1m a year for the operational life of the windfarm to community projects along the coast which could be educational, charitable or environmental.
In addition, it proposed a Llandudno tourism programme. Among the proposals is one to fund a full-time “town centre champion” at a cost of up to £80,000 a year for three years, with the brief of promoting the town.
They are also offering £150,000 over three years to fund an advertising campaign aimed at promoting tourism, and £300,000 over three years for tourism development projects identified by the town centre champion.
These incentives were dismissed by opponents.
by Owen R Hughes
14 February 2008
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/02/15/energy-firms-sweeteners-fail-to-sway-cabinet-from-its-opposition-to-wind-farm/