Poor roads delay wind farm plans

Planning applications for wind farms in Powys have been put on hold amid concerns about the county's "inadequate" road network.

Many new onshore projects are planned in the area, including proposals to turn one of the UK's largest wind farms into the tallest at Llandinam.

But Powys council said transporting the turbines to upland areas would be problematic due to poor road networks.

The Welsh Assembly Government said consultants were looking at the matter.

The assembly government expects 10% of electricity generated in Wales to come from renewable sources by 2010.

Three years ago it identified seven areas across the country for the development of wind farms.

You have a situation where you have one part of the government objecting to the policy of another one - it's ridiculous Councillor Wynne Jones

There are currently 26 in Wales with 482 onshore turbines and 30 off-shore.

In Powys, nine planning applications for 190 new turbines have been submitted with the council in recent months.

But councillor Wynne Jones, who has responsibility for regeneration and development, said the council had decided to put all current and expected wind power applications on hold.

He said assembly ministers had put in place a planning policy for wind farm developments in mid Wales while appearing to remain "blissfully unaware" of the physical constraints of building them.

He added that he understood the assembly government's own trunk road department had expressed similar concerns.

Mr Jones explained: "You have a situation where you have one part of the government objecting to the policy of another one - it's ridiculous.

"Unless there are major improvements to the roads where the construction traffic would have to travel, then we would have no choice but to recommend refusal of these developments."

He said the improvements would have to be funded by the assembly government.

Haf Elgar of Friends of the Earth Cymru called on ministers to "intervene and to discuss with them how we can overcome this as soon as possible".

Meanwhile, Conservative assembly group leader and Mid and West Wales AM Nick Bourne, said: "This is a very welcome, sensible decision.

"It takes into account local factors which have a direct bearing on major projects such as those proposed or likely to be put forward in future. Labour has demonstrated a blinkered approach to renewable energy for far too long."

A spokesman for the assembly government said it was aware of the "transport planning and logistical issues" of transporting turbines to sites.

'Green energy'

He added: "The assembly government is currently in discussion with Powys County Council and other local authorities across Wales.

"The assembly government and Powys council are aware of the transport issues concerned and have commissioned consultants to look into the matter.

"This will be used to inform decision making by the relevant determining authority."

He added that wind farm applicants needed to show that transport had been properly assessed and addressed as part of the planning application.

One of the most significant wind farm plans in Powys centres on the redevelopment of one of the largest in the UK in Llandinam, near Newtown.

Plans are to turn it into one of the UK's tallest onshore sites.

The companies behind the scheme want to replace 103, 45m (149ft) tall turbines with 42, 122m (400ft) machines.

They said the redevelopment would treble the output of "clean, green energy" at the mid Wales site.

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