Environment
and Sustainability Committee
Inquiry into Energy
Policy and Planning in Wales
EPP 96 – George Whitworth
Dear Dr Hawkins
I would like to draw your attention to the
following in relation to the proposed windfarm development in Mid
Wales
- Powys County Council vote reflected the
feelings of the county in their meeting at Welshpool market.
Surely Welsh Government/Westminster must take note of our
democratic system - not just call the planning applications' in' -
and then overide all other opinions.
- Wind farm energy is an inefficient way of
producing power - seldom reaching full potential - averaging
well below maximum theoretical output (as low as 20% according to
many reliable reports).
- Wind farms occupy vast areas of land - not
brown site areas - but prime landscape visible to all for miles
around. These upland areas are also vital in the control of
flood management to those downstream ie Severn Valley.etc.
Those that live/work in flood plains are not even
allowed to move earth from one field to another. These
develoments take large areas of water storage land out
of use and will have a catastrophic effect on farms, business
and homes in the flood plain. All the infrastructure put in
place over the last decades will be irrelevant.
- The economic mainstay of this area is
tourism . Visitors will not come to Mid wales if the natural
beauty of the area disapears.and the roads are congested with
construction traffic.
- In practice:
-
- What provision has been made to decommission
the structures and reinstate the landscape when wind farms are
found to be uneconomic/ ineffective and energy production replaced
by new methods? What provison has been made to remove the
concrete foundations? The areas will become giant scrap heaps.What
consideration /provision/mitigation has been made to
compensate for the destruction of large areas of woodland for
access roads?
- What consideration/provision/mitigation has
been made for offsetting the enormous carbon foot print of
the thousands of tons of concrete necessary?
- What consideration/provision has been made to
ensure emergency services can operate while the infrastructure is
being carried to site(including replacement blades etc for decades
to come) and to compensate for the carbon emmissions from the
necessary transport?
- What provision has been made to compensate
those losing their jobs/livelihoods by the reduction in tourism?
Any jobs created during the initial construction will soon
disappear - maintenance will be carried out by a few
specialists - probably from overseas!
- What consideration has been given to
Draper who quanttified the risk to homes/schools/business
from electric/magnetic fields - both in health and wellbeing
terms?
- What provision/mitigation has been considered
to compensate those properties blighted by the developments both
visually and healthwise?
If wind power was an efficient,
environmentally friendly and economically viable form of energy ,
there would be a some reason for forcing its construction on
Mid Wales. Sadly this is not the case - companies will only
be interested in developing and maintaining these sites
whilst the population subsidise them. Mid Wales will be
blighted for doubtful, ill considered political expediency.
Please consider the alternatives : Severn Barrage (24
hours/365 days /year and over 20 times more capacity - 8GW = 24 x
1.5GW x 20%): tidal stream technology: new age Thorium nuclear
plants: multiple solar panels for communities/houses etc.
Yours faithfully
George Whitworth