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Proposed windfarm at Nant y Moch
Summary of the ProposalsScottish & Southern Energy (SSE) is proposing to build a wind power station of 62 turbines up to 481ft high – much larger than any yet built in the UK - on the foothills of Pumlumon overlooking the Nant y Moch reservoir. The turbine tower sections, blades and generators would be imported via Swansea and brought in ‘abnormal load’ convoys via Cardigan and Penparcau using a new entrance at the Bwlch Nant yr Arian Forest Visitor Centre. The huge site, in both Ceredigion and Powys, extends to 9 x 5 miles, straddling the Scenic Route from Ponterwyd to Tal y Bont and overlooking Hyddgen, the site of Owain Glyndŵr’s famous victory over English soldiers and Flemish mercenaries in 1401. The area is in the heart of the Cambrian Mountains, once nominated as a National Park, and is rated as ‘Outstanding’ in the Countryside Council for Wales’ LANDMAP system. The beauty of the hills, lakes and forests in this area steeped in Welsh history is undisputed. Despite its inclusion by the Assembly Government as within a ‘Strategic Search Area’ (SSA) for windfarms, there cannot be a site that deserves more protection and a proposal that requires more opposition. The Planning ProcessThe project will be decided by the Planning Inspectorate's National Infrastructure Directorate using new procedures to be followed by developers, local authorities and the public. The process is summarised on the SSE web-site - click here to view. What stage has the Proposal reached?The application process is currently "on hold" following a developer announcement in March 2013. A third consultation, still part of the "Pre-Application" stage, closed on 28th July 2012. This third consultation was necessitated by a number of further changes to the proposal, see Summary of Changes to the proposed development arising since the previous consultation. June 2012. It asked for comments on: 1. Proposed Infrastructure Amendments June 2012 -
PRELIMINARY ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION; which needs to be read in conjunction with: Click here to view the Cambrian Mountains Society response - and others - to the third consultation. A second consultation, also part of the "Pre-Application" stage, started in June 2011, and closed on 15th July 2011. This second consultation was necessitated by a number of changes which SSE had made to its proposal since it was originally published in May 2010. It asked for comments on: a. revised Summary of Development Proposal and Environmental Effects - June 2011 Click here to view the Cambrian Mountains Society response - and others - to the second consultation. Following its initial consultation in the summer of 2010, SSE Renewables published an Interim Consultation Report (3.5Mb) describing its consultation methods, and giving an analysis of, and extracts from, the responses received to its questionnaires up to 30th July 2010. What you can do nowWe suggest that you look at the documents 1-3 mentioned above, and either: (a) Write your own short letter; or Please respond as an individual, and if appropriate send in an individual response for each member of your household. By completing the response letter you would help signal to SSE the magnitude and nature of the opposition to the proposal and the strength of feeling and love for the area. Please send your letter to Eluned Lewis, SSE Renewables, Room 101, Y Plas, Machynlleth, SY20 8ER or Email her on eluned.lewis@sserenewables.com. The society would be grateful if you could also send a copy to its email address. It is important to appreciate that this is not an opportunity for formal objection to the proposal. The developers are obliged to consult, and in theory they may change what they do in response to the feedback they get. The SAY NO to Nant y Moch wind turbines website has further ideas about protesting and objecting. There is also an On-line Petition; please add your name. How you will be able to help laterIf it decides to proceed, SSE will produce a full and formal application to the National Infrastructure Directorate backed by a detailed Environmental Statement. Only then will it be possible to consider the proposal in full, and only then will it be possible to make formal Objections to the National Infrastructure Directorate, who will either issue a development consent order, or refuse to do so. The National Infrastructure Directorate has confirmed that it is particularly keen on full public consultation, in the form of public meetings and written submissions so it is important that general responses are made along the lines we suggest in the form. However, we stress that the second and most important stage will be when the final Environmental Statement is published to accompany the formal application to the National Infrastructure Directorate – originally programmed for 1st February 2011, but since deferred several times, and currently on hold. If you are not a member of Cambrian Mountains Society and would like to be added to our list of those who wish to be notified when the Environmental Statement is published, please sign up for updates. We will send an email at that time asking you to write to the National Infrastructure Directorate with your objections. More information about the proposalClick here for more information about the proposal, its origins and development, the views of the Cambrian Mountains Society, and what the Society is doing to oppose the development. |
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