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Carmarthen Council: Permission for 21 turbine windfarm refused
From This is South Wales news of a landmark victory for local people:
THERE were cheers and applause from the public gallery as plans for 21 wind turbines in Carmarthenshire were rejected by councillors this afternoon.
The planning committee refused to give energy company Renewable Energy Systems (RES) Ltd permission to build on Mynydd Llanllwni, in north east Carmarthenshire.
It remains to be seen if RES will now appeal to the Welsh Assembly against the decision.
Speaking in County Hall in Carmarthen, where members of the public packed the gallery, Llanfihangel ar Arth county councillor Linda Evans said:
“Obviously, developments of this nature will have a long term effect on the lives of people in the area. The landscape will be destroyed forever. Please do not destroy our heritage.”
The committee heard from a range of protestors including David Ablett, from Llanllwni, who said it would endanger birds on the moorland.
“The placing of turbines on the mountain will massacre these beautiful species and the noise of the skylark will be drowned out by the noise of these turbines.”
Other objections related to people using horses on the common land, the negative effect on tourism, damage to the ecology of the area and health problems.
Ted Marynicz, of Grwp Blaengwen, said he represented people suffering from noise from the existing nearby Alltwalis Wind Farm.
“We do not need to rely on suspect computer models to tell you how much noise these turbines make,” he said.
” We hear them every day.
“We beg you not to inflict the torture that wind turbines effect on any more residents in Carmarthenshire.”
John Jones, chairman of the Save Mynydd Llanllwni action group and landlord of the Talardd Arms pub, said:
“The vast majority of my customers, who are a wide cross section of the community, do not want them on the mountain.
“I’ve only heard one or two people saying they are in favour of these turbines and they have a financial interest.
“A power station in Pembrokeshire will [fulfill] all Wales needs and these turbines will provide electricity for over the border.”
RES Project manager David Cox urged the committee to approve the plans, saying they were a vital step in cutting the UK carbon emissions.
”We accept wind farms will have an impact on the landscape but whether they are attractive or not is very subjective.”
He added: “Wind farms are one of the safest forms of energy generation.”
Council planning officers had recommended the application be refused and this was endorsed by the committee by nine votes to four. Planning was therefore refused.
2012-11-21 21:00:12
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