Support our Nation today - please donate here
News

Bute energy submit controversial plans for weather mast for second time

30 Apr 2024 4 minute read
Esgair Galed (via Google) and a mast similar to the one planned for the site. Image from documents lodged with the application.

Elgan Hearn, local democracy reporter

Windfarm developers Bute Energy have submitted an application to build a weather mast near a nature reserve, just weeks after a controversial application on the same site was rejected by councillors.

The fresh application has been submitted by Esgair Galed Energy Park Limited which is the development vehicle for Bute Energy, who specialise in developing wind and solar energy parks, at the site which is 3.8 kilometres west of Staylittle.

The meteorological mast near Glaslyn Nature Reserve would be a maximum 122.5 metres tall is the precursor to a potential development of 220 metre high wind turbines earmarked for the area in a wind farm called Esgair Galed Energy Park.

Objections

Resident from nearby Dylife, Staylittle and Llwynygog have started to campaign against the windfarm proposal and 85 objections were lodged against the first weather mast application.

Agent Carney Sweeney said: “The mast will gather a range of meteorological data during the 36-month period as part of the overall feasibility assessment for a future wind farm proposal.

“There is no concrete required for this development.

“The mast structure is constructed from aluminium and held in place by steel guy wires connected to steel anchor rods.”

Carney Sweeney explained that the building work would be carried out by workers travelling to the site using four by four vehicles and trailers.

One “flatbed lorry” would be used to deliver a digger for the anchor locations.

Carney Sweeney said: “In order to obtain a precise understanding of wind speeds in the region, the equipment will collect a large number of meteorological data on an ongoing basis.”

They add that government policy supports the principle of developing renewable and low carbon energy from all technologies and they quote the relevant policy.

Policy 17 states: “In determining planning applications for renewable and low carbon energy development, decision-makers must give significant weight to the need to meet Wales’s international commitments and our target to generate 70 per cent of consumed electricity by renewable means by
2030 in order to combat the climate emergency”.

Impact

Carney Sweeney said: “The proposed development is not considered to have a significant impact on environmental, social, or economic factors.

“The slim, unobtrusive nature of the structure of the mast will render it a
minor feature in the landscape and it is considered that the proposed development is unlikely to result in any significant impact upon local visual amenity, landscape character and the area’s natural and cultural resource.

“Furthermore, the mast will not be situated on land that is subject to any
ecological or landscape designations and the proposed development raises no unacceptable technical, access or design issues.”

At a Planning committee meeting on Thursday, March 14, Powys county councillors voted against the first version of the application and in doing so they went against the recommendation of planning officers who recommended the application should be approved.

Bute Energy had said that they would appeal against this decision.

A decision is expected on the new application by June 11.

The Esgair Galed Windfarm wind turbine scheme, which was revealed in January would roughly be situated, northwest of Llanidloes, southeast of Machynlleth and south of Llanbrynmair.

Any future wind turbine planning application would be deemed a Development of National Significance (DNS) and would be processed by Welsh Government planning inspectors at Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW).

If built the wind turbines would create 171 MW of electricity which would be enough to power between 113,000 and 179,000 households a year.


Support our Nation today

For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
2 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Hywel
Hywel
7 months ago

150,00-odd households outside Cymru, the profits for which go through a Scottish company to Scandinavian investors for 25 years plus, with not a penny landing in a Welsh Sovereign Fund, (our own ‘Welsh Levelling Up Fund?), whilst our pristine landscape is blighted by a multitude of towers over 700 feet high.
Meanwhile England prohibits such developments, keeping the Lake District, Peak District, Yorkshire Dales and the rest clear of such monstrosities.
Can you imagine the fuss Middle England would kick up if there were similar plans for those areas?!
…but we’re just a colony that can be ridden roughshod over…

hdavies15
hdavies15
7 months ago
Reply to  Hywel

Spot on Hywel, it’s gone well beyond a joke, now plunder on an entitled colonialist scale.

Our Supporters

All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018.