Environment and Sustainability Committee
Inquiry into Energy Policy and Planning in Wales

EPP 162 - Ceredigion County Council Environmental Services and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Please find below the response to the National Assembly for Wales’ Environment and Sustainability Committee inquiry into energy policy and planning in Wales from the Ceredigion County Council Environmental Services and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The following points were expressed by the Committee:

· There should be input at a local level to the location of wind farms.  Decisions should be made in Wales and not by the UK Government.

· Community energy schemes should be considered, this would increase community buy-in.

· Currently there are no local benefits to large wind farms.  They have a visual impact on the local environment which can affect the local economy and tourism.  There needs to be a local benefit from wind farms, one suggestion is a ‘visual impact tax’.

· Concerns were expressed on the effect of transporting the wind turbines on the highway infrastructure.  The wind turbines should be fabricated on site to reduce the impact on the roads, traffic and tourism.

Councillor D. W. Edwards, Chairman

Environmental Services and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee