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WALES’ First Minister Carwyn Jones has broken his silence over calls to review TAN8 and told the people of Powys he will not support plans for the construction of large electricity pylons across Mid Wales.
Glyn Davies MP welcomed the First Minister’s statement and said he believes that the people of Powys can now win their battle to prevent pylons being constructed across the county.
The news comes only a day after the front page headline in the County Times called on Mr Jones to act now over calls to review TAN8.
In his statement the First Minister also claimed that the level of windfarm development proposed in a number of Strategic Search Areas has greatly exceeded the capacities laid down in TAN8.
He said that this level of windfarm development is ‘unacceptable in view of its wider impacts on the local area’.
Mr Jones said: “Our policy in TAN 8 seeks to restrict the proliferation of large scale wind farms across the whole of Wales and focuses on the Strategic Search Areas which were derived following an independent assessment.
“The indicative capacities set out in TAN8 in 2005 reflected a considered view of the potential impact of grid and transport connections. However, in a number of the SSAs, developer interest has now greatly exceeded those indicative figures. The Welsh Government believes this level of development is unacceptable in view of its wider impacts on the local area.
“In our view the TAN 8 capacities should be regarded as upper limits and we call upon UK Government to respect this position when they finalise the Renewable Energy National Policy Statement and to not allow proliferation when they take decisions on individual projects in Wales.
“It is this overcapacity which has led to proposals for major new overhead grid infrastructure. We contend that the level of capacity within the Strategic Search Areas which we set in 2005 would negate the need for the large obtrusive pylons which are causing such concern. My Government would not support the construction of large pylons in Mid Wales and my Ministers are pressing this case with National Grid Transmission and with Ofgem.
“It has always been our position, as set out in our Energy Policy Statement that such connections should be delivered by less intrusive techniques, and as sensitively as possible, including the use of undergrounding. In cases where communities get the disbenefits of major infrastructure without the economic advantages high voltage power brings to city areas, we believe a new approach must be taken to the undergrounding of high voltage power lines.”
“In addition, I will be meeting with the British Irish Council on Monday where I intend to raise the impact of the UK Government energy policy on Wales and Montgomeryshire in particular. This situation amply illustrates why consents for major energy infrastructure projects must be devolved to Wales. We cannot accept a position where decisions made outside Wales will lead to inappropriate development for the people of Wales.”
Glyn Davies MP said the following the First Minister’s statement he believes the people of Mid Wales will win their battle to prevent the construction of pylons and huge windfarms across Mid Wales.
He said: “This issue was always going to be decided at Westminster and for me to win the battle I needed ammunition and the First Minister at Cardiff has listened to the people of Powys and given me the ammunition I needed.
“I genuinely think we are now going to win this debate. There’s still a long way to go but I genuinely think we stand a good chance of winning this debate.”
Russell George, Montgomeryshire Assembly Member and Shadow Minister for the Environment, congratulated the people of Powys on their campaigning and reiterated his calls for a review of TAN8.
He said: "Local people and the County Times involvement have led to the Welsh Government responding to the people's protests.
"We welcome that ministers have finally given in to the strength of public opinion on wind farm development. This shows that when a community is united what can be achieved.
"However, the First Minister's statement that the capacity of areas designated for wind farm development in TAN8 should be seen as upper limits is totally at odds with the guidance he developed and supported as Environment Minister in 2005.
"It was short sighted of Carwyn Jones as the minister who introduced TAN8 not to anticipate the associated pylons and electricity substations which would be needed to support such large scale wind farm developments.
"The First Minister should now concede that TAN8, the guidance he is responsible for, is not fit for purpose and it's in need of an urgent and thorough review."
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