Dear Member,

Despite all our efforts, and your magnificent and generous support,

Welsh Government Cabinet Minister for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, has approved Hendy Wind Farm at Llandegley Rhos.

In her decision released on 25/10/18, she has chosen to disagree with her appointed Planning Inspector, Hywel Wyn Jones, whose report following the March 2018 Public Inquiry was delivered on 11/5/18.

In his carefully argued 115 page report, Planning Inspector Hywel Jones set out the urgent need for renewable energy but concluded that the harm to landscape and historic assets on this particular site outweighed the benefits. He emphasised that he was assessing the proposal in the light of the Welsh Well-being of Future Generations Act and the recently adopted Powys Local Development Plan. From the Inspector’s report:

“…the extent of harm to the landscape and historic assets leads me to conclude that the scheme fails to strike an appropriate balance between promoting renewable energy projects and protecting these interests as sought by national policy. It follows that, when taken together, the combined harm to landscape and heritage matters significantly outweigh the identified benefits.”

 “As I have reached the conclusion that the harms caused by the development would clearly outweigh its benefits I consider that it fails to accord with the wide reaching aims and objectives of the WBFG [Well-Being of Future Generations] Act.”

No attempt had been made to justify the rejection of the Inspector’s findings beyond the need to serve the ‘national interest’.

This is a disgraceful decision and your committee will shortly inform you of our collective response.

We will fight on, including considering legal options.

I am very sorry to have to give you this dire and troubling news.

Jonathan Colchester

CPRW Brecon & Radnor Branch Chairman

 

Documents: Inspector’s Report

Hendy Wind Farm Limited – Welsh Ministers decision letter