Wind Farm

Dear Editor

That’s another fine mess

No doubt Mark Drakeford and his motley crew are still wiping egg off their faces as a result of Bute Energy finally seeing common sense and capitulating by withdrawing its proposals for a wind farm in Moelfre Uchaf, north Wales. The proposals for monstrous generators of up to 250 metres in height would have been devastating for the area, ruining lives and livelihoods, and would have had a significant and detrimental impact on the north Wales landscape.    Bute managing director Stuart George informed Clwyd West MP David Jones that they will not proceed with the development. The decision he said was based on ‘technical studies’ and ‘feasibility assessments’ – such weasel words – what took them so long to identity these shortcomings – do they think the public are that naive!

   The good folk of north Wales have clearly and democratically demonstrated that they do not want these proven ineffective weather dependent giant monstrosities on their doorstep. It is utterly disgraceful and insulting when the Welsh Government are turning a deaf ear to the very people they are supposed to represent and support.

   Unbelievably, a similar site (Y Bryn wind farm) with 26 generators measuring 250m in height and 170m in rotor diameter is proposed for the semi-rural area between Maesteg and Port Talbot area in south Wales, by Coriolis Energy and the Electricity Supply Board (ESB). But experts have warned the wind farm could be ‘unacceptable’ and ‘damaging’ to local tourism – a report by White Consultants on behalf of Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot Councils states the generators ‘are likely to be too large for the   site and that local residents and communities are likely to undergo significant visual effects with dominant or prominent generators and, in some cases, may suffer unacceptable effect on residential visual amenity’ – echoes of north Wales!

   Let us hope therefore that Coriolis and ESB will see common sense and mirror the decision of Bute Energy, with the full support of the Welsh Parliament in recognising and accepting the will of the people and upholding democracy.

Dave Haskell

Brithdir

Cardigan

SA43 1ER

Tel: 01239 614671