January 20, 2012
Wales

Minister’s plea over archaeological find

South Wales Evening Post, www.thisissouthwales.co.uk 20 January 2012

An assembly member has written to the Welsh Heritage Minister about what archaeologists say is a neolithic find at the Mynydd y Betws wind-farm site.

Cambrian Renewable Energy Limited, the company building the 15-turbine site above Ammanford has held talks with experts who said they had uncovered a 5,000-year-old “stone row” near the site.

Now Neath AM Gwenda Thomas has written to Housing, Regeneration and Heritage Minister Huw Lewis.

“I was made aware of the archaeological find which has been discovered on the Mynydd y Betws wind farm site by my constituent, Geoff Moore,” she said. “I wrote yesterday to the minister with responsibility for heritage, Huw Lewis AM, to clarify the process of accessing the significance of this find.

“I hope for a prompt response from Cadw (the Welsh historic monuments body) in visiting the site to start the verification of the find”

Swansea Valley campaigners worried about the delivery of the turbines causing traffic disruption called for work on the contentious project to stop.

But a Cambrian Renewable Energy Limited spokesman said it was not digging near the alleged ancient find.

He added: “Cambrian Renewable Energy Limited is consulting with its own archaeologists and Carmarthenshire Council on the potential significance of some findings discovered at the Mynydd y Betws wind farm site.

“Further statements will be issued when more information becomes available.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/01/20/ministers-plea-over-archaeological-find/