Plans for new wind-farm rejected

Lewis Smith – Local democracy reporter

Plans to develop a wind-farm site with 250m-high turbines near a small village have been rejected by Welsh Government officials.

The proposals for Y Bryn wind farm on the mountains overlooking the peaceful community of Bryn around five miles from the centre of Port Talbot,  could have seen the creation of up to as many as 18 turbines if given the go-ahead.

These would have measured in as some of the tallest on-shore turbines in the UK measuring up to 250m to tip -, a height more than double that of the current tallest building in Wales which is The Tower at Meridian Quay in Swansea.

It led to a massive public backlash from residents in the village as well as from the surrounding areas of Port Talbot and Maesteg who felt they could have a major impact on the local landscape, wildlife, and quality of people’s lives.

However the plans which were handed in by developers at Coriolis were rejected by a Welsh Government inspector in November 2025. The inspector said they would have an “unacceptable adverse impact on landscape character and visual amenity”.

Concerns were also raised over the size and scale of the turbines by both Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend County Borough Council in local impact assessments with fears that the turbines could become a “dominating new feature” on the landscape and impact designated historic assets.

While the inspector acknowledged  there were “significant benefits” from the proposals, including the potential capacity to meet the annual electricity needs of more than 85,700 average British homes, on balance it would not outweigh the substantial harm identified.

The report said: “The harm caused would be substantial and weighs significantly against the proposal.

“In arriving at this view these and other compelling harmful effects would not prevail beyond the scheme decommissioning, however, such impacts would be experienced for a significant amount of time.”

Speaking after the decision local resident Rhodri Williams, who fought the plans since 2021, said it was a win for the countryside and for common sense.

He said: “We’re over the moon with this decision and we’re so happy to see that common sense has prevailed.

“The application was crazy and after fighting it since 2021 we’re pleased to have saved our local landscape so that future generations can also enjoy what we have now.”

Jonty Colchester, chairman of Welsh countryside charity CPRW, added: “CPRW strongly welcomes the Welsh Government’s refusal of the Y Bryn wind farm proposal.

“This was an industrial-scale scheme in an entirely inappropriate landscape threatening valued forests, wildlife, and the wellbeing of local communities.

“Wales must, of course, play its part in tackling the climate crisis but this decision shows that renewable energy development must be delivered in the right places – not at the expense of sensitive landscapes and the people who live near them.”