December 21, 2018
Wales
Wales
Protesters lose their bid to stop work at the Hendy Wind Farm site at Llandegley, near Llandrindod Wells
By Elgan Hearn | County Times | www.countytimes.co.uk
By Elgan Hearn | County Times | www.countytimes.co.uk
Work will be able to continue at the controversial Hendy Wind Farm near Llandrindod Wells.
Legal action to extend an injunction stopping developers from working at the site, until all permission discharge conditions have been met, has failed.
Protesters against the controversial wind farm, at Llandegley, had taken their legal challenge to Birmingham Civil Justice Centre, but left disappointed.
They had hoped that the injunction that only allowed developers to work on “steel fixing works” would be in place, until a judicial review of the Welsh Government Minister’s decision to allow the wind farm to go ahead, can be heard.
Jonathan Colchester, chairman of the Brecon and Radnor, Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW) branch, said: “It’s a blow.
“Were disappointed as this means that the developers can go ahead and pour concrete into the site foundation in the new year.
“We have been told that we should be directing legal challenges on enforcement issues to Powys County Council.
“We have sent them a pre-action protocol letter of intended legal proceedings and we shall now continue with that.
“The problem is, developers can continue to work until the judicial review is heard.
“And we may win that, but it’s of no use if the wind turbines are already built.”
Powys County Council (PCC) has said that it has received the pre-action protocol letter and will be considering the contents.
Hendy Wind Farm said that pre-commencement surveys have taken place and some machinery has been delivered to site to allow enabling works to begin.
A spokesperson for Hendy Wind Farm said: “As a responsible developer we are committed to maintaining a constructive relationship with the council and ongoing dialogue with key stakeholders and community representatives.”
In October, Lesley Griffiths AM, the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs overturned previous decisions by PCC’s planning committee and a planning inspector to reject the wind farm.
She considered the benefits of delivering renewable energy should outweigh the impacts of the scheme on landscape and visual amenity.