July 14, 2011
Wales

Anger at plans for wind turbines at Conwy county beauty spot

North Wales Weekly News, www.northwalesweeklynews.co.uk 14 July 2011

Residents in Llanelian are opposing plans to build two 170ft high wind turbines in a natural beauty spot.

Developer Bryn-y-Gwynt Ltd has submitted plans to erect two turbines on Glyn Farm, as well as a renewable energy college linked to Coleg Llandrillo.

Building work is set to start as early as October if Conwy’s planning committee gives the project the green light.

The turbines will feature three 225kw fibreglass blades and are 95ft in diameter.

Residents living less than half a mile away fear more turbines will follow and say the proposals will ruin views and cause noise pollution as well as dust and disturbance as they are erected. A derelict building at the site is set to be converted into an education centre.

Tegwyn Hughes, 75, has lived on Cilgwyn Road for the past 45 years with his wife Wendy and says the plans are ruining his health.

“I suffer badly with my chest, I’m on a ventilator and this worry is making it worse,” he said. “I haven’t slept for over a week. I was in a dreadful state this morning.

“They are putting in for two turbines, but if they get the go ahead it will be the thin end of the wedge and we could have 22 turbines.

“There will be noise and it will cause a visual intrusion. They will construct a road up to Glyn Farm from the public highway which will be a huge thing, it’s not going to be a small road.”

The application states that wildlife such as badgers, birds and bats won’t be affected by the turbines.

However, neighbour Nathan Kerridge, 24, does fear for wildlife, in particular birds of prey which he says will be at risk from the blades and habitat invasion.

“Normally I’m in favour of windfarms but I’m opposed to that site,” he said.

“They are planning to put in 225kw turbines, which are the great big ones. They are going to have an issue accessing the site and are going to have to build a track to get to it.

“It is going to cause a lot of disruption for wildlife. Last year we had two sets of buzzards and owls there.”

John Lawson-Ray is the chairman of the Save Our Scenery group, which campaigned against the Gwynt-y- Mor off-shore windfarm.

“This is the next step. They are now boxing us in and building them on land as well as sea,” he said.

“The turbines are ugly and very disturbing with the noise. This will spoil the countryside, we’ve already spoiled the sea scenery. We are going to be hemmed in. This is what we’ve been fearful of. We did the best we could to lobby against the off-shore windfarm, but we feared this would happen.”

Llanelian Community Council is to hold emergency talks at the village hall at 7.30pm on Friday, whilst a residents’ meeting is planned at the White Lion pub on Monday, also at 7.30pm. Bryn-y-Gwynt Ltd was unable to comment.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/07/14/anger-at-plans-for-wind-turbines-at-conwy-county-beauty-spot/