We were very pleased to receive a reply from Welsh Government, albeit from the Local Government and Planning Directorate rather than the Energy Minister as expected.  In replying, they have announced a complete review of Future Wales The National Plan 2040 and associated planning policy.  It’s a major task which does need doing but will, unfortunately, take a considerable time for consultation and revision.

Meanwhile, the developers keep on piling into Mid-Wales with further proposals for renewable power stations to be built on some of Wales most biodiverse habitats and, in particular, its globally important and irreplaceable acid peatlands.  These ancient habitats store carbon, retain excess rainwater and so help prevent river flooding, while also supporting suites of unique birds, animals and plants (such as the bog rosemary, illustrated: Ceredigion’s county flower).

Peat more than 3m deep is present at the site on Pumlumon Fawr where Statkraft of Norway propose to build concrete (that is, alkali) foundations for 12 wind turbines from 150-180m (480-590 ft) tall.

We were therefore perturbed to see from their reply that the Government imagine that peatlands, as such, are covered by the protection granted to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).  Unfortunately, this is not correct.  Planning Policy Wales prohibits development on SSSIs except in “wholly exceptional circumstances”; but the protection for those peatlands not designated as an SSSI is only that permission should be refused “unless other significant material considerations indicate otherwise”.    Wales contains an important fraction of the entire global stock of peatlands, and Ministers are fond of boasting (correctly) that they “cover just 4% of our land yet store around 30% of our land-based carbon and are among our most important natural assets for biodiversity, climate action, flood and fire risk mitigation”.  Yet from the spate of ongoing applications renewable power station developers seem confident that the presence of peat alone – however deep – is no bar to approval for building marine turbines over the top.

It would be a travesty for the new Government to produce a new planning policy, with appropriate regard to the precautionary principle set out in the Biodiversity (Principles, Governance and Targets) (Wales) Act 2026, but be so tardy about it that one of its most precious resources was already condemned to destruction before the policy took effect.  We’ve therefore written asking for new guidance to be given urgently as to the correct interpretation of the protections already laid out in the policy.  You can read our (somewhat technical) letter,  here.