Councillors welcome refusal of wind turbine scheme as decision awaited on new proposal

Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

Councillors have welcomed the rejection of a major wind turbine development while awaiting a decision on another proposed wind farm currently under consideration.

At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Planning Committee on Thursday, March 26, councillors were given an update on the Developments of National Significance (DNS) proposals currently under consideration in the county.

Councillors welcomed the decision by Welsh Government planning inspectors at PEDW (Planning and Environment Decisions Wales) to refuse the application by RWE Power to build six wind turbines with a maximum height of 200 metres on land between Abertillery and Abersychan.

Planning inspector Iwan Lloyd judged the proposal would have an unacceptable visual impact on both Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape World Heritage Site.

County planners told the committee that they had been involved in a planning hearing earlier this week on the resubmitted DNS (Development of National Significance) plans by Pennant Walter to build seven wind turbines, each 180 metres in height, at Mynydd Llanhilleth.

The previous proposal was for eight turbines and was withdrawn by the developers in June 2024, but a smaller proposal was resubmitted last summer.

The site at Mynydd Llanhilleth is mostly across the border in Torfaen County Borough – but the western part of the site is close to the villages of Llanhilleth and Bryn Ithel in Blaenau Gwent.

The council was a consultee on the proposal and lodged a Local Impact Report (LIR) with PEDW last autumn, which explained that “overall” the wind farm would have a negative effect on Blaenau Gwent.

Cllr Lee Parsons (Non-Aligned – Llanhilleth) said: “Would we be looking at a similar scenario with Mynydd Llanhilleth in the report from the inspector?

“Could it be turned down because of the effect it would have on the Brecon Beacons and (Blaenavon) World Heritage Site, as that site is as close as Abertillery?”

Development Management Team Manager Joanne White said: “The inspector will deliberate everything; it’s now a case of waiting.”

Cllr Parsons added: “I just thought that a precedent had been set on schemes.”

Planning Development Team Manager Steph Hopkins said: “Each case would be considered on its own merits, and there are quite different impacts with this one.

“The council, and indeed Torfaen Council, robustly defended the position that we made in our LIR.”

Committee Chairwoman Cllr Lisa Winnett (Labour – Blaina) said that council officers had done a “fantastic job” at the hearing.

Cllr David Wilkshire (Labour – Rassau and Garnlydan) added: “We know the (Welsh) Government’s opinion on wind turbines; they are trying to push them everywhere.

“I’ve been to a couple of these hearings, and it’s not an easy thing to win.”

The committee noted the report.

PEDW say that the inspector’s report is expected to be submitted to the government by June 14.

Pennant Walters claim the wind farm will generate 34 MW of electricity, which is enough to power 21,500 homes for a year.