July 23, 2016
Wales

Why a Swansea councillor quit authority’s planning committee over planned wind farm

By Geraint Thomas | South Wales Evening Post | July 22, 2016 | www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk

A long-serving Swansea councillor has quit his seat on the local authority’s planning committee in protest of his colleagues’ decision to allow a wind farm to be built on moorland to the north of the city.

Councillor Ioan Richard, who has represented the Mawr ward for over 30 years, said the move was prompted by the recent news that RWE Innogy UK were poised to go ahead with a 16 turbine wind farm on Mynydd y Gwair near Felindre after the Welsh Government finally made a ruling following a long drawn-out row over the use of common land.

The firm had already been given the necessary planning consent for the by Swansea Council which is something the retired teacher who has campaigned against what he sees as “the vandalism of landscape on a gigantic scale” has never forgotten.

Following the announcement of his decision to stand down, he said: “It is a disgrace, many of my constituents in Mawr cannot get planning permission for modest bungalows or household extensions because of landscape or design objections and restrictions, yet approval has now been given for giant Wind Turbines and multiple access tracks all across a most scenic landscape.

“This will be a massive loss to Swansea, all for just an erratic average 12MW of electric into the UK Grid that consumes 40,000 MW. It will effectively be a printing machine of millions of pounds of our subsidy money for RWE and the Duke of Beaufort’s family.

“I have served on the planning committees for 31 years and this is a gross injustice and vandalism of landscape on a gigantic scale which will do nothing to avert climate change. To put it simply, I am gutted and no longer wish to serve as a planning committee member.”

He added that his place on the planning committee was being taken by Penyrheol councillor David Cole.

Councillor Paul Lloyd, chairman of the planning committee said that he was sad to hear the news.

He added: “Mr Richard was always a respected member of the planning committee and we valued his opinions and comments.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/07/23/why-a-swansea-councillor-quit-authoritys-planning-committee-over-planned-wind-farm/