Countryside charity releases ‘shocking’ map revealing development plans across Wales

Martin Shipton

CPRW, the Welsh countryside charity, has unveiled a map showing all the current applications facing the Welsh countryside, and says people will be shocked at the scale of what is being proposed.

The charity recently asked PEDW, the body overseeing all applications under Wales’ Developments of National Significance (DNS) process, for geospatial data, or to produce a map of all the current applications.

CPRW spokesman Ross Evans said that as PEDW had been unable to create a map itself, CPRW members had produced one to show all the current proposals for onshore wind and ground-based solar.

“In the absence of an official map to show the scale of applications facing the Welsh countryside, our members have painstakingly plotted and annotated a map showing all the DNS applications,” he said. “What this map illustrates can only be called the industrialisation of our countryside.

“One thing noticeable from our map is the fallacy of the Welsh Government’s Pre-Assessed Areas. Most applications are outside of these areas and, at least one foreign developer has withdrawn a major application within one of these areas claiming it wasn’t suitable.

“We are supposed to be in a nature emergency, as well as a climate emergency. Yet the Welsh Government seems happy to ride roughshod over nature in its ‘race to net zero’.

“We are proud to unveil this map at our stall at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show. if you are attending this year come and see for yourself at stall CCA84, if not you can download a copy from our website.”

Not fit for purpose

CPRW has long taken issue with the DNS system, saying it has a deficit of democracy. The charity recently said the application process was not fit for purpose, given a recent admission from PEDW that it could not cope with the scale of applications before it.

A copy of the map unveiled at the show can be downloaded here…..

A more detailed version showing common land and flight routes for the RAF at the Mach Loop can be downloaded here…

Earlier this year Climate Change Minister Julie James said: “Our previous targets signalled our high ambitions for renewable energy and this Government’s desire to move away from a use of, and reliance on, fossil fuels.

“However, the climate crisis shows that we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. Providing new targets compels us to stride towards Net Zero as quickly as we realistically can. The evidence is clear that towards the end of this decade we will need to rapidly ramp up our generation of electricity to meet our energy needs.”