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Windfarm plans opposed due to impact on World Heritage site

By Mark Mansfield
Blaenavon Ironworks. Photo Mark Mansfield

Twm Owen, local democracy reporter

A proposed windfarm straddling two councils would have an unacceptable impact on a World Heritage site, councillors have said.

Blaenavon was granted the prestigious recognition by United Nations body UNESCO in 2000 but potential windfarm developments in the area have been identified as a possible threat to the status.

Renewables firm RWE has applied for planning permission for construction and operation of up to six turbines, that would be 200 metres high to the blade tip, on common land between Abertillery and Aberyschan.

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Development of national significance

As it is considered a development of national significance the application will be decided by Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) rather than councillors, but they were asked to note the local impact report prepared by the council planning department.

Planning officer Justin Jones said the access road, east of Brynmawr, and four turbines would be in Blaenau Gwent but the two remaining turbines, the substation and other infrastructure would be in Torfaen

The turbines would be south of the World Heritage site though part of the access road would run through the Blaenavon Landscape of Outstanding Historic Interest and outside the Welsh Government’s pre-assessed area where there is “in principle support” for turbines.

Mr Jones said the tips of the blades would be visible over the mountain ridge from Blaenavon and reminded councillors they will be turning rather than static.

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Devastating

Blaenavon independent councillor Janet Jones said: “The impact on our 19th century industrial landscape will be be devastating.

“Yes we need renewable energy but I don’t think this is the right place for it.”

Pontnewydd Labour councillor Stuart Ashley said there are only four World Heritage sites in Wales and said: “I have to remind myself the Taj Mahal is in the same category.”

He also said it should also be noted the turbines would be visible from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and Mr Jones said the park authority is also expected to make a response to PEDW.

He said Torfaen will be “quite forceful” about its “significant concerns” on the World Heritage site and the special landscape area and its fears over the “cumulative” impact of other turbines proposed in the area.

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3 comments

Brad abernethy

When a proposal is made to build a turbine, many factors are taken into account first...the most important being sustained winds in that area. Many areas do not have the wind necessary to make the turbine viable. It looks like this area does. The turbines will not be placed on the unesco land and the fact that the tips will be seen is a moot point. It is also highly unlikely the unesco classification would be removed due to turbines being installed. Over and over it's been proven that the turbines just blend into the scenery in a very short time, and do not interfere with tourism. This seems to be another case of the NIMBY..not in my back yard argument. I'll take one hundred turbines compared to a single water based drill platform any day!

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Pete Cuthbert

Surely the principal objection to this project should be that it is being made by RWE a German owned international company with fingers in energy all around the world. They are notable for operating the lignite (Brown coal) power station in the former East Germany which is one of the largest contributors to Germany's carbon footprint. This would be a foreign owned, profit extracting exercise that provides very little for the citizens of Cymru. There has been no mention of Community Ownership and the majority of the power is likely flow across the border into England. As Brad says, one gets used to the presence of these machines, but mostly one feels that each one seen reperesents another example of resoures being bled from Cymru with no gain for the locals. We need a new nemonic for patriotic protest; perhaps NIORT, "No Internationally Owned Resource Theft". I doesn't have the neatness of NIMBY, but puts the focus on exploitation.

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Why vote

Isn't all of Wales classified as a heritage site, we all live to standards set 100 years + ago, ruled by Labour, governed by 1000 year rules, speak an ancient language, travel at speeds equivalent it those in the 1920s and still controlled by pit masters ( do as you are told or else ),we are nearly a third world country. How do they get planning permission anywhere?

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Surely the principal objection to this project should be that it is being made by RWE a German owned international company with fingers in energy all around the world. They are notable for operating the lignite (Brown coal) power station i...

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