There has been quite a lot of activity during the past 8 weeks and I thought it would be helpful to update you from my perspective on recent events.
I am sure many of you saw in early February a letter signed by over 100 MPs calling on the Prime Minister to cut onshore wind farm subsidies that the UK Government are paying to wind farm developers. I thought the letter which was signed by MPs from across the political spectrum, made a powerful statement and I wanted to replicate that to show the strength of feeling here in Wales. The letter which I drafted to David Cameron was unambiguous. It stated that the current policy to heavily subsidise on-shore wind generation is the wrong policy and it had to broaden energy generation beyond wind. I too wanted to get cross-party backing for the letter in the National Assembly. Unfortunately, only Welsh Conservative AMs were prepared to sign-up.
National Grid has over the past 15 months been consulting the public in Montgomeryshire about proposals to connect proposed new wind farms planned for Mid-Wales. During the consultation they asked residents for their opinions of two potential sites for a substation and possible route corridors which will carry the connection into Shropshire. Initially, National Grid announced that they would publish their preferred options in early April. However on the 8th March, they made a public statement that the announcement would be postponed until May because ‘they want to get the decision right.’
I believe they could take 100 years to make their decision and still it would be the wrong one for Mid Wales. Yet what I would say to all those campaigning, when they do make their preferred option publically known, it will be vitally important to keep doing what you have done so well and remain united.
During March, there were three important County Council meetings. The Conservative group of Powys County Councillors felt strongly that the decision to determine and respond to wind farm applications in Powys, should certainly not be left to just 10 councillors but all councillors should be able to comment and vote on these crucial decisions. The Conservative Group Leader on the Council, Cllr Aled Davies, was successful in persuading the Council to support his motion calling for a formal session of the full Council to be convened to discuss all applications in detail prior to any decision. On 13th March, two huge developments - Carnedd Wen wind farm and Llanbadarn Ffynydd Wind farm – were discussed by the full Council. Although these developments will be decided by the UK Government as they are over 50mw, the Council as statutory consultee's have a right to take a position and that was to object to both these applications outright.
I thought the decisions made by the Council were not just sound in principle but they also exposed in the application process, some of the poorly contrived thinking and inadequate planning that these developers have put forward. The decisions taken on Carnedd Wen and Llanbadarn will trigger a public enquiry, costing the taxpayer more money in legal fees. Yet, I know this will not deter campaigners’ one jot!
In relation to Welsh Government policy, on 14th March the First Minister launched his Government’s new energy policy strategy – Energy Wales: A Low Carbon Transition – which sets out how ministers intend to maximise the economic potential of power generation. My initial reaction having read it was that it’s a very high level strategic document that doesn’t give a lot of detail other than the Government wants Wales to "lead the way" in creating a low carbon economy in the UK. However, I would say that the tone regarding improving the planning consenting regime and grid infrastructure was in stark contrast to the statement that the First Minister made last summer. He has clearly been put under pressure by the industry to become more supportive and co-operative in what they are trying to achieve.
I do agree with Government’s principle aim to make Wales a low carbon economy, it is the natural process all governments are making in a bid to tackle Climate Change. However, Carwyn Jones isn’t going to achieve his objectives by imposing wind farms on communities in Wales that simply don’t want them. If he is serious about this new plan, then he has to realise that only by exploring a wider mix of renewables like wave, like tidal, like geo-thermal and by becoming more energy efficient as a nation, are we going to attract more inward investment, achieve our carbon reduction targets and most importantly, engage and galvanise wider public support.
I didn’t have to wait long to probe Welsh Government Ministers further on what this new policy meant for Wales, as the very next day (15th March) the Assembly’s Environment and Sustainability Committee took evidence from four cabinet members in its policy inquiry on energy and planning. I had the opportunity to question the First Minister, the Environment Minister, the Transport Minister and the Economic Development Minister about renewable energy and in particular, what this new policy statement meant for developments in Mid Wales.
I challenged the First Minister and the Environment Minister again on TAN 8 and asked as there was no mention of it in the new document whether that meant it was redundant policy; both as you can imagine disagreed. However, the most pointed piece of questioning was in relation to a letter that I obtained prior to the meeting which showed that the Government have reneged on its commitment to hold a full public review of TAN 8. The letter was from the former Environment Minister, Jane Davidson, to a fellow Assembly colleague and it stated that the Government was committed to a review of Tan 8 and that the revision would be ‘subject to a full public consultation.’ As you can imagine this evidence certainly unnerved both Ministers, as they tried to give various answers on what this exactly meant.
I then challenged Carl Sargeant on the transport implications of building wind farms in Mid Wales and whether officials clearly thought through devising Strategic Search Areas where transport connections were difficult; I didn’t get a straight answer. I also challenged the Business Minister about the impact to tourism and business in Mid Wales if these developments go ahead; she conceded that there had been an impact in Scotland but ‘it was only small’ – which is of very little comfort to the businesses of Mid Wales that will be affected.
Although all of them tried to weave and duck my direct questions, I know that the constant scrutiny is exposing contradictions in Welsh Government policy, which I am sure, will be raised in the Committee’s final report.
The last week of Assembly business before the Easter recess, saw the UK Climate Change Minister, Greg Barker MP, visit South Wales to promote the UK Government’s policies on the Green Deal and small-scale renewables. I had the opportunity to have a half hour meeting with him in Cardiff Bay, which was very productive.
As the Minister in the Department of Energy and Climate Change charged with developing small-scale community renewable projects, he seemed conscious that the only way members of the public are going to engage with the renewable energy agenda is if they are involved in the decision making process at every stage and if they can see such projects are going to bring genuine community enhancement. When I directly questioned him on the proliferation of onshore wind farms, he said he was against ‘one club golf’ and felt it was important that government's not only demonstrated they were investing in a wide mix of renewables but also that there was not a general policy of ‘imposition’; I was of course heartened by that response. I was also pleased to hear him discuss energy innovation in marine and tidal energy, something which he is a strong advocate because of generation consistency and high levels of capacity, which as we know is something of a problem with wind energy generation.
I have listed below a number of local organisations that are all working towards our aim to completely stop the Mid Wales Connection project and the destruction of our landscapes. Please do visit the sites to see how you can get involved.
The overall campaign has many legs. Some are involved in producing literature, some in delivering the publications! Our MP Glyn Davies is focused on issues in Westminster, and I remain focused on contributing to the overall campaign in Cardiff Bay.
We have recently won a few battles, but the war is certainly not over. My final message is that we must be ready for the next stage of our campaign. When National Grid announce their preferred location for the substation next month, it is important to keep doing what you have done so well and remain united.
Below, I have listed contact details for the campaign groups that I am working with to stop the connection project.
Campaign Websites:
STOP – (Against Pylons and Turbines)
Conservation of Upland Powys (CUP)
www.facebook.com/conservationofuplandpowys
Montgomeryshire Against Pylons (MAP)
www.montgomeryshireagainstplyons.org
www.facebook.com/MontgomeryshireAP
TRAPP www.trapp-online.org
Cambrian Mountains Society (CMS)