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Leaflet blitz to back wind farm scheme
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Thousands of leaflets giving details of plans to build one of Britain’s biggest wind farms in the north of Swansea have been sent to residents.The plans, by energy company npower, would see 19 massive wind turbines on top of Mynydd-y-Gwair, with a construction site covering nearly 1,200 acres.
The largest of the proposed turbines would stand 127 metres to the tip of the blades – double the height of Nelson’s Column.
The leaflets, which are landing on around 22,000 front door mats in the Pontarddulais and Mawr areas, are the latest round in a long-running battle between the power company and campaigners.
Ioan Richard, councillor for the Mawr ward is one of the people campaigning against the plans.
He said: “The plan is just an easy way for the energy companies to make fast money without taking into consideration the long-term effects on the local community.”
Opponents of the scheme, including campaign group Save Our Common Mountain Environment (Socme) say the wind farm would become an eyesore and would ruin the natural beauty of the local area.
And members fear the project will have a destructive impact on the local ecosystem.
Councillor Richard said construction at the site would also cause traffic problems.
The land is owned by the Duke of Beaufort, one of Swansea’s most prominent landowners, through his family trust the Somerset Trust.
Npower says Mynydd-y-Gwair has been identified as one of the best places in South Wales for a wind farm, and would produce enough electricity to supply the average needs of 28,000 homes.
A spokeswoman for npower said the turbines are so large because smaller ones had been discontinued.
She added: “There are three planned proposals in negotiations for similar size farms to be built around Wales.”
Fran Singh
17 July 2008
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