CEIRIOG
VALLEY ACTION GROUP
Residents of the Ceiriog Valley united against proposals to blight one of
North Wales’ most beautiful rural landscapes with industrial wind turbines
Full information about the
CVAG campaign
can be found on the Group’s
website:
www.cvag.campaign.btinternet.co.uk.
Release date: Monday
September 9th 2002
Wind
turbines rejection
‘a
victory for local democracy’
THE CEIRIOG VALLEY Action Group, democratically
elected to represent overwhelming local opposition to wind turbines in one of
North Wales’ most outstanding beauty spots, is greatly heartened by tonight’s
Wrexham Planning Committee decision to reject the application for a development
of giant 300ft. wind turbines at Cefn Coed, near Glyn Ceiriog.
In lodging more than 1,400 formal objections to the plan – more than Wrexham Council has ever known for any previous application – local people made very clear their view that the proposed turbines would destroy the special and unique character of the Valley, and impact seriously on tourism, the mainstay of the local economy.
In rejecting the application, Wrexham Councillors have given staunch and solid backing to those views, and demonstrated commendably the power of democracy at work.
The council’s decision sends a clear message to those who think that simply claiming to wear a ‘green’ hat is a licence to paint the map of Britain with wind turbines almost anywhere or everywhere they please. It isn’t – and the tide is now beginning to turn as more and more people come to realise that the indiscriminate siting of wind turbines in unspoilt areas of countryside, far from solving existing environmental problems, is creating serious new ones of its own.
Neither the applicants, nor National Wind Power, ever consulted with local people about their plans, held no public meetings to explain their proposals, or made any attempt to discover or understand the very genuine fears and concerns of those who stood to be most affected.
Turbine developers like NWP must act more responsibly, and instead of relying upon a haphazard ‘anywhere will do’ policy, activated whenever a landowner says ‘yes’, they should produce sensibly co-ordinated national and regional development plans which take proper account of local people and local environments.
CVAG is delighted at the outcome of tonight’s planning hearing, but is well aware that the applicants may consider an appeal, which would result in a formal Public Inquiry. With the backing of such a huge majority of local people and Councils, the support of AMs and MPs of all political parties, and pledges of significant funding to sustain the campaign and meet our legal costs, we face that challenge with renewed vigour and confidence.
In the meantime, as a firm commitment to the future, CVAG will actively pursue the designation of the Ceiriog Valley (currently listed as an Area of Special Landscape Value) as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, to ensure that this uniquely beautiful North Wales valley is never again threatened by industrial turbine development.
Editors: For further information, please contact CVAG Chairman Kyran Lawford on 01691-718756, Secretary Chris Futcher on 01691-718602, or Press Officer David Wilcock on 01691-718351.