Contact Porthcawl Civic Society via Mike Mansley

e-mail
newton1
nospam@onetel.com

(delete nospam and reformat to email)

The Welsh Assembly Government has given its approval to the construction of a thirty turbine development three miles off-shore from Porthcawl's prime tourist beach, Rest Bay. The turbines would be 400 feet high, the highest built so far in the U.K. Porthcawl Civic Trust is deeply concerned about this decision and how it was made.

The decision followed a Public Inquiry that was held in Aberavon and lasted from 4 November until 27 November 2003. The applicants, United Utilities, were supported by Friends of the Earth Cymru, Greenpeace and Sustainable Wales and opposed by Bridgend County Borough Council, Porthcawl Town Council, Peter Black A.M.and Alun Cairns A.M., the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales, Porthcawl Civic Trust, the Pyle and Kenfig and Royal Porthcawl Golf Clubs and a number of other organisations.

The Inspector considered all the claimed benefits offered by the turbines and judged these against the damage that it was suggested would be caused to the seascape environment and to the tourist industry of Porthcawl. He argued that: “The visual impact of a windfarm in the specific location of this proposal would be so prominent when viewed from Porthcawl and its immediate area that I consider that the harmful effects are sufficient to outweigh the benefits of this particular proposal.” The Inspector recommended that planning permission be not given.

This recommendation was considered by a Planning Decision Committee of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of four Assembly Members. This committee accepted the Inspector's consideration of the issues but disagreed with his overall conclusion and with his recommendation. It accepted that the windfarm would have a visual effect on public amenity in the area but that this and the effect upon the local tourism industry would be outweighed by “ the significant benefits arising from the development in terms of the production of renewable energy”.

The society reports Alun Cairns' suggestion that this decision threatens all future planning inquiries affecting the local environment in Wales. The decision to over-rule the Inspector, taken by the four members of the Planning Committee, was because the Assembly has passed a policy stretching targets for renewable energy. This seemingly now ensures that windfarm applications will be given precedence over all other considerations. “Any future consideration by an Inspector of a planning application will take into account the new interpretation of the policy. This has far reaching consequences,” the AM wrote in the “Glamorgan Gazette” on 15 July.

The decision by the Planning Committee will be debated in the full Chamber in October on a motion proposed by Alun Cairns and supported by other AMs. The Society and other organisations will be trying to persuade at least 31 AMs to overturn the decision.

The Porthcawl Civic Trust argues that the immediate threat is to Porthcawl but if this interpretation of the renewable energy policy ihas become the norm, other areas of Wales will not be able to resist applications from windfarm developers on environmental impact grounds.

10/08/04