27 May 2008
Leading consultant White Young Green has secured planning permission for a new wind farm near Glynneath in South Wales. The development is located on the former Maesgwyn opencast coal site which is also used each year for the Wales GB Rally.
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council granted planning permission for the 13 turbine scheme earlier this month. The planning permission is subject to a legal agreement between the Council and the Hirwaun based developer, Pennant Walters Ltd, part of the Walters Group of companies and one of the biggest private sector employers in Wales. The legal agreement will ensure the restoration of the site at the end of the wind farm’s operational life of 25 years and, throughout that period, Pennant Walters will contribute a range of benefits to local communities.
WYG Planning Director, Paul Vining, said: “Although the planning application was submitted towards the end of 2006, these generally take some time to work their way through the planning system. We have managed to secure planning permission without having to appeal and we were able during the process to take account of the comments made by the Council’s officers and by the consultees. As a result, the developer agreed to drop two turbines from the scheme, which will still produce over 30 megawatts of electricity.”
It is expected that construction work will begin on the wind farm later this year and that the turbines will start producing electricity in 2010, contributing to the Welsh Assembly Government’s target for producing power from renewable resources. The wind farm is located in one the areas of Wales that the Assembly Government has said should be regarded as a focus for major new wind farm developments.
