My intention was to start winding down this blog, spend more time with my wife, grand-children, books, Malbec . . . but things keep cropping up. That said, it’s very unlikely I shall undertake major new investigations. Diolch yn fawr.
♦
Last week, I introduced you to the Bute empire, based in Edinburgh and London, which, under a variety of company names, is planning many new wind farms in Wales.
This week’s piece is partly a recap, partly putting a new slant on things, and partly some fresh thoughts on the unequal relationship between Wales and England.
♦
MAPPING IT OUT
Here are the location-specific Bute Energy companies, sixteen in all, each with a link to the relevant Companies House entry. Is there a project near you?
Twyn Hywel Energy Park Ltd / Rhiwlas Energy Park Ltd / Banc Du Energy Park Ltd / Aberedw Energy Park Ltd / Moelfre Energy Park Ltd / Mwdwl Eithin Energy Park Ltd / Garreg Fawr Energy Park Ltd / Bryn Gilwern Energy Park Ltd / Nant Mithil Energy Park Ltd / Lan Fawr Energy Park Ltd / Waun Hesgog Energy Park Ltd / Esgair Galed Energy Park Ltd / Llyn Lort Energy Park Ltd / Nant Ceiment Energy Park Ltd / Nant Aman Energy Park Ltd / Tarenni Energy Park Ltd
The full list of recent company formations, and other background information, can be found here.
I’ve now drawn up a map showing what I hope is the correct location of each of Bute’s planned wind farms. I can’t be absolutely sure because in most cases all we have is a company name, and that name could fit a number of locations.
The names Rhiwlas and Moelfre, for example, can be found in many locations.
But by ruling out urban areas, National Parks, etc., etc . . .
To help them build these wind farms, Bute’s head honcho, Oliver James Millican, and his constantly growing band expect help from both Labour Party insider David James Taylor and Lesley Griffiths MS, the Minister for Rural Affairs in the self-styled ‘Welsh Government’.
I’m not exactly sure what’s expected from Taylor, but he’s been made a Member of Grayling Capital LLP, and he’s also been given shares in Windward Enterprises Ltd, both in his own name and that of his company Moblake Associates Ltd.
Taylor seems to be paying himself some £200,000 a year from Moblake Ltd but the skeletal accounts give no indication of where the money originates. Though, strictly speaking, and quoting the ‘accounts’, the money is, ‘an interest free loan and does not have a repayment date’.
But seeing as Taylor is the sole Moblake director, and holds the only share, for him to ‘repay’ Moblake would just be transferring money from one pocket to another.
From Ms Griffiths Millican and whoever he might be working with obviously expect planning permissions. I’m not for one minute suggesting favouritism, let alone inducements. It’s simply that, as we saw when she overruled the Planning Inspector’s decision on Hendy Wind Farm, she has the final say.
Griffiths and Taylor are well known to each other. It would be unusual if they weren’t, seeing as they belong to the same political party and are both from the north east. Here’s Taylor out canvassing for Lesley Griffiths in the 2016 Welsh Assembly elections.
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A WEE DIGRESSION, BUT INTERESTING
Something I didn’t explore in the previous post was the fact that Taylor, Griffiths, Sophie Howe (Commissioner for Greenwash), and others, were on the same side before and after the Carl Sargeant suicide in November 2017.
This picture below, from 2014/15, shows, left to right, Carl Sargeant, Sophie Howe, a former Spad to Sargeant (though when the photo was taken she was deputy to former MP Alun Michael, the South Wales PCC), Lesley Griffiths, and Leighton Andrews AM for Rhondda, who lost his seat in 2016 to Leannein Wood.
David Taylor worked as a Spad or trouser presser for Andrews, and his loyalty to the party was rewarded when, in 2016, he was the Labour candidate for the North Wales PCC post. He lost out to Arfon Jones, the Plaid Cymru candidate.
The thing about this picture is, it’s not a ‘work’ photo, they’re out together relaxing. They know each other, they obviously enjoy each other’s company.
After Sargeant’s suicide they all rallied to his defence, or at least, they didn’t do any favours to then First Minister Carwyn Jones, lobbyists Deryn, and others coming under fire. Lesley Griffiths is quoted more than once in this report.
In this piece, we read that Sophie Howe: ‘ . . . told Coroner John Gittins: “I find that incredible that he (Sargeant) can be sacked without being told what the allegations were.”’
While Leighton Andrews has plenty to say on his blog.
In this November 2018 report from the Wrexham Leader we are told that, ‘The inquest also heard a statement from David Taylor, a friend of Mr Sargeant who was previously employed by the Labour Party.’
It’s all coincidence, no doubt, but from this small group around Carl Sargeant we have three – Howe, Griffiths, Taylor – currently contributing to Wales being ripped off by every shyster who can spin a line about saving the planet.
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‘JUST A FEW QUESTIONS, SIR’ (Oh, the times I’ve heard that!)
I wrote to Bute Energy last Tuesday morning, ahead of office hours, giving them the chance to clarify a few points for this follow-up.
My questions were:
- When and where did you first meet David James Taylor?
- Were you introduced to Taylor? If so, by whom?
- What is your relationship with Taylor’s Moblake companies?
- Why did you make Taylor a Member of Grayling Capital LLP?
- Why did you give Taylor (and Moblake) shares in Windward Enterprises
- Have you met Lesley Griffiths, Welsh Government Minister for Rural Affairs? If so, where and when?
- Did you have advance warning of Ms Griffiths’ overturning a Planning Inspector’s decision on Hendy Wind Farm in October 2018?
- Why did you recruit former Labour MEP Derek Vaughan to chair your Welsh Advisory Board?
- Why does your Welsh Advisory also have as a member John Uden, a former London police officer now specialising in property security, who, apparently, has no Welsh connections?
- Why do you have so many wind farms planned for Wales?
- You don’t know Wales, so how did you find these sites? Did someone recommend them?
- Do the principals in Bute and the other companies have any experience in engineering, construction, renewables, or related fields?
- Do you really intend building wind farms or will you simply obtain planning permission and then sell the sites?
- Talking of the sites, have you been promised that, if necessary, powers of compulsory purchase will be exercised on your behalf?
- Do you have contact details for David James Taylor?
- Do you have anything you’d like to say?
I’m still waiting for answers.
Having mentioned the ‘skeletal accounts’ of David Taylor’s Moblake Ltd I naturally got to wondering about the accountant.
At the start, Moblake’s registered address was in the West End of London, at 109 Gloucester Place. It’s the tidy-looking gaff with the blue door. Though the company registered at that address, Adams Mitchell Ltd, was only formed in August 2019.
In fairness, it looks as though David Taylor was simply using Gloucester Place as an accommodation address. The ‘accounts’ submitted were all his own work.
Though the most recent accounts are a tale of West End to East End. For Moblake’s latest accounts were signed off by Naail & Co Ltd, a husband and wife outfit on Lambeth Walk in property leased with money borrowed from banks.
But the accounts remain unaudited. The accountant just signed off what Taylor put in front of him.
Couldn’t David Taylor have found a nice, respectable accountant in Wales who would have presented fully audited and verified accounts?
Makes you wonder.
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‘HERE YOU ARE, TAFF – DON’T SAY WE DON’T GIVE YOU NOTHING’
Maybe I’d better explain what I mean by the heading to this article about England’s wind turbines in Wales. Now pay attention, because this is a bit complicated, and prefaced with, ‘As I understand it . . . ‘.
In 2015 legislation was passed, covering England and Wales, that gave local planning authorities – i.e. councils – powers to decide on wind farms of 10MW and above. (They already had the power over smaller installations.)
This had been mooted for some years and finally came into effect, on June 18, 2015. With political spin about upholding election promises by letting ‘local people have the final say on wind farm applications’.
Hinting that this was a decision dictated by electoral considerations. For wind farms are erected in rural areas, and the rural areas of England are overwhelmingly Conservative in their political sentiments.
The Conservative and Unionist Party would lose MPs and councils if a Tory government in London over-ruled local councils to impose wind farms on areas where locals didn’t want them.
The map below might help illustrate my point.
You can do your own by going to this site, and by playing with the various layers on the interactive map you can end up with whatever your heart desires.
To reproduce my map, from the menu on the left: In ‘Energy Type’, keep Wind Onshore. In ‘Energy Capacity’, 10MW and Above. In ‘Status’, Application Submitted, Awaiting Construction, Operational, and Under Construction.
If we could add a layer giving political features it would show that Tory-voting England is almost entirely free of wind farms.
Below you’ll see an extract from a relevant UK government publication. This makes it clear that the 2015 legislation covered England and Wales.
Obviously, this legislation means there will be hardly any wind farms in England. And that will result in the UK struggling to meet its climate change obligations. It will also be bad news for the Tories’ business friends who milk the subsidies paid for renewable energy.
Which is why I am convinced pressure was applied from London on the ‘Welsh Government’ for Wales to accept more and more wind farms.
This explains why the legislation was reversed in Wales to make wind farms of 10MW Developments of National Significance, meaning local authorities must either grant planning permission or expect to be over-ruled if they refuse planning permission. For the ultimate power rests with Welsh ministers. (Here’s the link.)
This explains how, in 2018, Lesley Griffiths was able to over-rule both Powys County Council and the Planning Inspector on Hendy wind farm.
Ordinarily, Wales and England moving in separate directions would be something I’d applaud, but not this time.
Perhaps someone in the ‘Welsh Government’ can explain why 10MW wind farms are Developments of National Significance in Wales, but not in England.
Especially as we share the same National Grid and the electricity generated by ‘Welsh’ wind farms will most likely go to England.
As I’ve said, I’m convinced pressure was applied from London, perhaps via the civil servants operating in Wales who answer to London. The ‘Welsh Government’ couldn’t admit that, so it was glossed over with the Well-being of Future Generations Act, which came into force in April 2016.
Followed by pious declarations to make Wales ‘carbon neutral’ and then, like a maiden aunt having an attack of the vapours, declaring a ‘Climate Emergency‘.
As if anybody outside of Corruption Bay gives a toss!
These bouts of orchestrated hysteria turned planting wind farms all over Wales into an environmental crusade. The panel below, from this ‘Welsh Government’ site, explains why someone thinks we needed this legislation.
Note that climate change, over which Wales can have no effect, is more important for the ‘Welsh Government’ than spheres where it could make a difference.
Priorities, eh!
◊
CONCLUSION
Despite the apparent divergence of approach over Developments of National Significance in 2015/16 we are, effectively, still in the Englandandwales model.
Making wind farms another example of devolution being used to serve England’s interests rather than ours. Consider this . . .
Just imagine if a Tory government in Westminster had said, ‘We don’t want wind farms in England – so we’re going to dump them all in Wales’. There would have been a national outcry.
Yet that is what has happened!
It’s the old story of Wales being exploited for the benefit of England. And just as with our water, we are not compensated for what we export.
Wanting Wales to be ‘carbon neutral’ and declaring a ‘Climate Emergency!’ is just vain posturing to disguise Wales’ subordinate status. Play-acting that won’t improve the lives of Welsh people, or make any difference to climate change.
And things might be about to get a whole lot worse.
For the number of wind farm applications is accelerating. Not only do we have Bute Energy’s 16 projects, there’s also the monster turbines planned for Y Bryn, between Port Talbot and Maesteg; while more recently I’ve learnt of a plan for turbines above coal tips at Ynyshir in the Rhondda Fach.
Yes, honestly, above coal tips.
How many more are planned that we haven’t yet heard about?
There is nothing to be said in favour of wind turbines. In their brief and intermittent lives they do not repay the environment for the damage caused in making, transporting, and erecting them. They are all built and owned by foreign companies. They provide no jobs. They despoil our landscapes. They kill birds. They cause flooding.
But never mind, we’re serving England’s interests. Again.
♦ end ♦
Irish tentacles
When I was a small boy many moons ago the Irish were the butt of many a joke. But in the 21st Century the tables are being turned with Irish developers transforming the irreplaceable and beautiful landscape of Wales with unpredictable, erratic and ugly so-called ecological friendly means of power generation. It is not only the Welsh being taken for fools, as Wiltshire will possibly be falling foul to such inane development as the Irish tentacles are spreading everywhere. The latest being the proposed Lime Green Solar Farm, a development by the Irish company, Island Green Power.
Wiltshire council’s carbon neutral target for solar renewables is 590MW and has already been exceeded, so why this additional eyesore? Surely Wiltshire Council is worldly wise enough to know that when the sun does not shine, or at night, no generation will be forthcoming.
Even the dimm
est in the class will appreciate that in the depth of winter when the demand for heating and lighting is at its highest, solar generation will be at its lowest! The answer to all this foolishness is the building of more efficient, cheaper and relatively cleaner CCGT gas-fired power stations – which can be much more environmentally acceptable if fed with pre-heated geothermal water (the City of Bath is near the border of Wiltshire) – but it takes the will, imagination and intelligence to do so.
Dave Haskell
History lesson
At a Coronation lunch in Westminster Hall during May 1953, Sir Winston Churchill advised, “Study history. Study history.” These are wise words that Dr Jonathan F Dean, Llanerchymedd, should heed when he recommends the Oldbury site on the River Severn for a nuclear power station (letters Western Mail 8 MAR 2024). The history of the nuclear generation industry since Calder Hall should fill him with dread and not surprisingly, the new grossly expensive Hinkley Point Nuclear Power Plant is heading for £30bn and being far behind schedule. History and knowledge will tell Dr Dean that the Somerset Coastline, where this nuclear plant is being built, experiences the second highest tidal range on the planet, and has experienced vast flooding in the past drowning many animals and people, coupled with flooding on the opposite Welsh coastline between Cardiff and Newport.
Regarding base load power requirement, nuclear fission should be avoided as it is a horrendously expensive, dirty and a dangerous strategy, especially when there are other viable, safer and cleaner options available.
He is foolish to champion wind generation when even the dimmest in the class will tell him that without the correct wind, no useful electricity will be generated – in other words they are completely at the mercy of the weather – so much for security of supply for without full and adequate backup disaster awaits our electricity dependent society. Regarding offshore wind he appears to be totally unaware of storms at sea and the high cost of maintenance – even when the weather allows a landing.
Dr Dean must think we are all very naive and gullible – especially when power bills have more than doubled – but someone has to pay for large scale wind and solar generation, and in particular, the cerebral challenging payments to Scottish wind farms of hundreds of millions, when they are NOT producing any electricity under the generous Constraints Policy – Alice would not be shocked at such madness.
Finally, I would also advise Dr Dean to acquaint himself with Aldous Huxley, the English writer and philosopher, who wrote, “That men do not learn the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach us.”
Dave Haskell
Cardigan
Here it is, David Taylor was also the “brain” behind the abysmal Aneurin Glyndwr website. https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/who-hate-most–chelsea-2111483
Great blog Jac. Don’t retire. Who else will do this kind of investigative journalism? It’s incredible no matter what avenue in public life, be energy, climate change, NHS boards, you can guarantee ex-politicians or former SpAds from Labour are involved. David Taylor has been a figure in Labour in Wales for years, I remember him rubbing shoulders with Tories like David Jones at a so-called Better Together event. And he had to apologise after mocking Hillsborough victims reported on Wales Online 29.3.2013 by re-wording “You’ll never walk alone” to “you’ll never walk again.” A nasty individual. Why was he hired? What expertise does he have in this field? “Moblake” doesn’t even have a website, and just one employee, himself.
Jumping the gun a bit but the re launched Afan Valley Adventure Camp will have to exist in the shadow of some of the proposed Bryn Wind Turbine Blight. Or is this seen as “good business” as it offers opportunities to attach carriages to the tips of blades to give mugs a chance to experience the “ride of their lives”. All done without paying big bucks to Musk or Bezos, or nipping down to Swansea for a the more bland horizontal trip with that dame from YC.
I too was wondering how close the ‘adventure resort’ is to the proposed wind farm. They can’t be far apart, and given the height of the turbines they will certainly be visible. What about noise, and flicker?
The common factor in the Afan Adventure Resort and the Bute Energy Group array of new wind farm locations across Wales is that they are all on land owned by Natural Resources Wales. This is not a coincidence these proposals are materialising at the same time, and concurrently throughout Wales. A coordinated disposal of public asset which I believe has been arranged and instigated by a timetable of WG ministers and the array of hanger-on, pillow companions, chequebook consultants, and of course the board of directors of NRW many of whom have concurrent paid interests in connected enterprises.
Have used Afan Argoed on several occasions, used to take our kids up there back in the 80’s early 90’s then just me & the wife and 2 or 3 dogs. Great open spaces yet only a few miles from Port Talbot, accessible for a few quid and the price of a cup of tea and a sandwich. Now the Wind Blight and the Corporate scavengers are closing in with the connivance of the cnuts at NPT Council and the indiscriminate corrupt poodles in the Bay. Any visits to that valley will come at great expense with everything laid on to a “formula to entertain”. And those bits taken by the Wind Blight will be out of bounds anyway. After all what pleasure is there in walking among those monsters ?
The jewel in the crown of the Afan Argoed project was the ‘Glyncorrwg Ponds’, a series of old colliery reservoirs between Glyncorrwg and Cymmer. The land was inherited from the NCB by NPT council and after significant landscape reclamation there was a series on ‘community enterprises’ on the site. This was typically a café with someone employed part time on the minimum wage. Community First. The usual EU grant funded operation. Since then however, we see that the ‘Woodland Trust’ now advertise the site as a recreation area and list it as a “Private Woodland”. So who owns it, and how was it privatised?
I have the three title documents for the land in question. All will be revealed tomorrow morning. There are some interesting people involved.
Brychan Is the “private woodland” to which you refer on the west bank of the Afan and the fairly steep slopes rising on that west side ( opposite the Afan Argoed centre) or are you referring to land further upstream into the Afon Corrwg ( where the pools are) around the Biking Centre ? Or has the entire terrain which was “open range” now been hijacked by some opaque organisation ?
The wheels on the bus go round and round …… Positif is supposed to be the PR firm for Bute.
I assume you have located Tarenni Energy Park Ltd as a speculative wind farm development on the mountain between Godre’r Graig in the Swansea Valley and Crynant in the Dulais Valley. This mountain is Mynydd Marchywel also known locally as Crynant Forest. A huge forestery plantation operated by NRW. Tarenni was the group name for the drift collieries on the Tawe side of the mountain?
That was the only one I could find where the name fitted. Looks like more trees coming down to make way for wind turbines.
Apologies for pedant tendencies …..Brychan’s description re Tarreni is broadly accurate and clear. However, there were two Tarreni Mines across the river from Godrergarig, At river bank level was the original Tarreni Deep mine (vertical shaft etc.to the east of the Swansea Valley Fault system …..Red Vein?) The drift mine is located several hundred feet above on the hillside This was the Tarreni Gleision mine; the location of the tragic underground event involving the deaths of four local men some 10 years ago.
Thanks Jac for joining with those considerate folk at the Beeb and making the effort to educate likes of me in the complexities of blackfishing. I’m now far more confident that I can pop down to my local wokish coven and hold my own, for this week at least, although by next week some other new terminology will have been added to their introverted lexicon.
I’m now starting to worry that if I ever again indulge in my habit of speaking with a Dyffryn Nantlle or Sir Drefaldwyn accent I will be accused of Gogfishing or Powys fishing ! Mind boggles.
You’ve got to be so careful nowadays. And putting on a Llanelli accent would be Turkfishing, which could easily be misinterpreted and lead to an international incident.
Where will it end!
Turkfishing is already a popular pastime east of the Llwchwr with much banging of sospans to enhance the distortions of the accent all along an arc running close to the full 180 degrees of the west side of Abbatawey ( I think that’s how they would spell it in Cheshire). On reflection a spot of “….fishing” is preferable to the phobing that is so fashionable among wokey retards.
Copy below of my recent 3-point enquiry by email to NRW. Awaiting reply.
Customer Service Team
Customer Communications and Information Directorate
Natural Resources Wales [N R W]
Date: 5 October 2021
Dear Customer Service Team
Subject: Wind Farms [Energy Parks] in Wales – Flood Risk to downstream communities
I refer to the above subject and reproduce below an abstract from “Wales Online” dated 29 September 2020.
Abstract from Wales Online
“A Welsh village could end up surrounded by 750-feet high “monster” turbines. Bryn could have 26 towering turbines overshadowing it from Margam Mountain if the controversial plans are given the go-ahead. Suzy Davies, MS for South Wales West, warned of her fears over the scheme. It comes in the wake of her virtual meeting with developers UK-based Coriolis Energy Ltd and Ireland’s E S B. The firm are looking at plans to create Y Bryn Wind farm, which will stretch over the mountain from Brombil through Bryn and over to Nantyfyllon and Caerau along the flank of Garnwen Mountain. Mrs Davies said: “These are monster turbines which will dwarf many of the other turbines that have been put up in this area in the past. “They will be visible from the M4 at Margam and will tower over the mountain. They will also completely dominate Bryn and will also be located on the hills above Maesteg. “My main concern, apart from the visual effect on what is a beautiful area, is the cumulative impact. “There are already a number of wind farms in the hills above the Afan Valley stretching up to Cymer, Glyncorrwg and the Bwlch,” she said, pointing out the new scheme could generate up to a further 50 megawatts from wind. She added: “There is also the tricky issue of Natural Resources Wales’ conflict of interest. “They will get a financial return from the scheme so it would be impossible for them to give impartial advice to the planning authority even though they are the guardians of the nation’s natural resources. “I fear that the planning process may not give communities and residents the protection they should have. “We already have too many wind turbines on land locally and this scheme will make it worse. “I have already been in touch with members of the Bryn Residents Action Group (BRAG) and I will be monitoring this scheme very carefully.” The energy firm has been given the green light from Neath Port Talbot planners to erect a Met Mast which will measure wind speeds and velocities. If it goes ahead the wind farm would be made up of 26 turbines each up to 750 feet high on land owned by Natural Resources Wales (N R W) which Mrs Davies said was planted as Forestry Commission woodland. But N R W offered energy firms the chance to develop this block of woodland in a competitive bidding process.”
End of abstract
I am currently investigating how flood risk to downstream communities is managed as a result of increased storm water run off from large wind farms [energy parks] in Wales. To inform my investigation I would be grateful if N R W could respond to the following 3-point enquiry.
1. Is change of land use [agricultural to wind farm / energy park] taken into consideration in N R W hydraulic computer modelling that generate the flood maps that, in turn, inform the Local Authority Town and Country Planning Process.
2. Given that water flows under the influence of gravity and does not respect site boundary or Local Authority boundary, is the flood risk to communities downstream – generated by storm water run-off from impermeable areas on large wind farms / energy parks in Wales – managed by N R W at a strategic level [given your remit to manage flood risk from main river & tidal estuaries] or is the flood risk managed by Local Authorities under their remit as “Lead Local Flood Risk Management Authority”.
3. Following implementation of Schedule 3 of Floods and Water Management Act 2010, are Local Authorities in Wales now under a legal obligation to ensure that SUDS are incorporated within the curtilage of wind farms / energy parks with the on-site surface water drainage network adopted and maintained in perpetuity by the Local Authority with commuted sum payment provided by site developers.
I look forward to receiving clarification, at your convenience, on how flood risk to downstream communities from large wind farms / energy parks in Wales is currently managed. Thank you.
Yours sincerely
Compliments on a well drafted letter Wynne. You can come and look after my infrequent correspondence any time ! My only concern is that such a well thought through document will not attract clarification. Instead you will get a mix of bullshit obfuscation and downright evasion. Ms Griffiths and Co will be delighted that NRW will continue as exemplars of good public service.
Their initial response, in due course, may be a load of “bovine waste matter” but I tend to bounce back with a few more questions !
The Public Notice Poster below was put up in the early days of one Community’s fight in north Swansea to preserve Mynydd y Gwair. A thirty years old vicious campaign. Those were the days when Plaid Cymru supported Wales and its Communities against the ravages of multi national businesses like the foreign Wind Turbine developers. Plaid Cymru were then also an Opposition to the Labour Rulers of colonial Wales. How sad it is today that Plaid Cymru now supports Labour in being Labour’s ‘butty bach’ saviour and is now more interested in weird peculiar aliens who want One Planets and Rewilding with Wind Turbines everywhere all over our nation with no challenge to the likes of Lesley Griffiths and those Shysters Jac’s Blog exposes.
In the absolute extreme unlikelyhood of the present UK Royal Family being hit so bad with a scandal and the House of Wndsor collapsing, I could now even imagine Plaid Cymru accepting Neil Kinnock as a Welsh replacement Monarch, but that’s not possible as dear old Neil is neither Trans or Binary or a foreign pseudo Green and anyway the Salary would not be high enough. Maybe the Wales Government, lacking any Opposition, could create a new Royal Third Sector.
Annwyl Jac
Every time I read your blog and the shenanigans involving our “Parliament” and “Welsh” government I pick up my pen – as it were – with the same response. I haven’t so far because I’d be repeating myself each time and forever. However….
Two very simple questions.
What is the opposition in the Senedd actually doing? The role of the opposition is act as a check, to question and to ensure everything is above board.
We can’t expect anything from the Tories, but where is the “Party of Wales?”
The party should be deeply ashamed. You, acting on your own, have consistently exposed what may politely be called questionable activities; PC remains silent.
But Plaid Cymru is not alone. There must be serious conflicts of interest in this case and indeed many others, so what is the “Government” and indeed the First Minister doing about it?
Hi John,
The problem we face here is that the ‘Left’ – Labour, PC, LDs and Greens – is blindly committed to renewable energy. No questions asked. No doubts entertained.
The opposition in Wales should be coming from the Conservatives. But will they go against their bosses in Westminster? On top of which, they will always favour the landowners and big businesses that profit from wind farms in Wales.
Which leaves us, the Welsh people, almost without a voice.
Someone has sent me me an old flyer that reminds us Welsh communities have been fighting against wind farms for almost 30 years. Note that in those days Plaid Cymru was opposed.
On that poster from 1993 you will see the name of Dewi Evans who at that time was based in West Glam where he was a Plaid Councillor. Commonly regarded as a good representative of his community and the wider population. The same guy turned up a couple of years ago to challenge the infamous idler and groupthink devotee, Alun Ffred, for the Plaid Chair. Dewi lost in one of the most infamous cases of ballot rigging ever, well until the Yes Cymru pirates took that good ship over earlier this year. Guys like Dewi probably remain hostile to random ill conceived investments in any technology but the leadership groupthink within Plaid has migrated lock stock and barrel to a total adherence to the present blasphemous version of the Green gospels. No doubt if there was a further shift in the orthodoxy handed down by Santes Greta and her backers, the Plaid leadership would go for it like a rat up a drain pipe.
My understanding is that Wales and England have different interpretations of the Localism Act which is why in England onshore turbines are not permitted if there is any objection in the community. This makes developments so unlikely, and so risky, that no one bothers. This has left a bunch of developers, too small to venture offshore, desperate for things to do … hence Wales! Of course the likes of Bute, who only want to get permission then sell, have no role in the offshore consenting process.
You’re probably right about interpretations of the Localism Act, and in concrete form it’s Developments of National Significance. And as you say, the consequence is that anyone now wanting an onshore wind farm will come to Wales.
I can confirm that David Taylor (introducing himself as Bute Energy PR) attended a meeting of the 15 July 2021 with residents affected by the Moelfre Industrial Wind Site proposal. However, we were unable to locate any reference to him on the Bute website.
It’s odd that Bute won’t claim him. Especially as the team is being updated with new members regularly.
Though on second thoughts . . . he doesn’t really work for Bute, does he? He’s probably a ‘consultant’, through his company, Moblake.
Shwmae!
Are you the same Non Davies who had a letter re Bryn Wind Farm [and others] in the Western Mail recently? EXCELLENT letter !! Will you please send more……..to 10 Welsh papers, please?
The majority in Wales do not know of the DISGRACEFUL 21 wind turbines proposed for Bryn, Port Talbot. They will be 825 feet high……the tallest in the world!
The tallest I can find in USA [ slightly bigger than Wales] are around 590 feet high.
England’s share of wind turbines are being DUMPED on soft Wales. There are NONE in the Cotswolds , closer to Birmingham and London….where electricity is needed !
Please don’t retire, Wales needs you
You’re very kind.