June 1, 2011
Wales

Campaigners from West Wales gather at wind farm rally

By Graeme Wilkinson, www.thisissouthwales.co.uk 1 June 2011

Anti-wind farm protestors from across West Wales travelled to Cardiff last week to join a national protest against Government plans.

A coach load of 30 people from the area joined around 1,500 demonstrators on a march to the steps of the Senedd on Tuesday, May 24.

Among them was long- standing anti-wind farm campaigner Caroline Evans from Gwernogle near Brechfa.

She said people joined their party from across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire and added: “For every one person there were about four or five people who couldn’t go on the day.

“There were a wide range of people taking part too, people in wheelchairs, kids in push-chairs and school children.

“They were the type of people who don’t normally take part in something like that.”

She said the rally was an opportunity for all the different campaign groups to get together and show their strength of feeling on the issue of new wind farms.

There are currently three proposals in Carmarthenshire, not far from the existing ten wind turbines at Alltwalis.

A company called Rwe npower Renewables wants to build 28 turbines east of Alltwalis in a development called Brechfa Forest West.

As the wind farm is so big, it will be decided by the Government’s Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC). No official application has yet been submitted but is expected shortly.

The same company also wants to build Brechfa Forest East, 12 turbines north of Abergorlech. An application has been submitted to Carmarthenshire Council.

Another company called Renewable Energy Systems (RES) has also applied for planning permission to the county council for 21 turbines on Mynydd Llanllwni, called Bryn Llewelyn Wind Farm.

That whole area has been earmarked for development by the Welsh Assembly in a policy document called Technical Advice Note 8, or TAN 8 as it is better known.

This policy and the role of the IPC have all been questioned by the protestors and local politicians.

MP Jonathan Edwards, of Plaid Cymru which is broadly in favour of wind power, has called for all large wind farm decisions to be made by the Welsh Assembly rather than the IPC.

His views were echoed by Ceredigion MP Mark Williams, a Liberal Democrat, who also said Wales should have the final say. He has also called for TAN 8 to be revised after he raised concerns about another development at Nant-y-Moch in north Ceredigion.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/06/01/campaigners-from-west-wales-gather-at-wind-farm-rally/