“I haven’t seen that much pink on the map since the end of the British empire”. So said one person who attended the recent exhibition on the proposed Clwyd Power Station wind farm to be built in Coedwig Clocaenog Forest. For those too young to remember, maps of the 1940s and 1950s coloured Britain’s significant colonies pink. Though I think the irony was lost on him, he may well have alighted on a new form of colonisation, namely the mechanisation and industrialisation of our barren upland landscape.
The colour coding on the map of the Vale of Clwyd, Clwydian Range and Hiraethog represented the number of turbines visible by location. Green indicated between one and five visible; pink was up to 32 (in other words all those planned by RWE Npower Renewables). Great swathes of the map were pink, though we must remember that much of these areas are uninhabited or sparsely populated.
First, then, the good news. Very few if anyone in Rhuthun will see any turbines at all. As you move east, however, so progressively more become visible. The villages in an arc from Llanelidan, Rhyd y Meudwy, Pentrecelyn, Graigfechan, Llanbedr Dffryn Clwyd, Hirwaen, Gellifor, Llandyrnog to Llangynhafal are pink and are expected to see all of the turbines. The arc extends north long and up to the peaks of the Clwydian Range. Parts of Dinbych/Denbigh will see more than five. Some of the scattered settlements to the west of Rhuthun and those near the site are also pink.
This, then, is the price the people of Rhuthun and the Vale will pay for renewable energy. Call it a loss of amenity. Is it one worth paying? Have we any choice?
It was disappointing to note that the maps at the exhibition considered only the RWE Npower proposals and not those elsewhere. Remember, there are others planned, agreed or in operation. There are, for instance, a bank of turbines either operating or planned to the south west, south east and north west of the RWE Npower site. Total: towards 100 turbines, when built.
The exhibition was very strong on working with conservation projects and offering community benefits. It seemed that there would be a community payback of some £400,000. No doubt this will be most attractive in rural areas. The exhibitors wished to know how this might be spent and who might benefit. The person who likened the map to colonial British domination also felt this was little short of a bribe. Better simply to spend the money anyway and save the considerable and on-going subsidy payable to the operator, said he. This would be a cheaper option and one that avoids despoliation for limited benefit.
One of the questions the exhibitors were asking was, “If you could do one thing to make your community you live in better, what would it be?” Judging by the views of those present, the question begged the answer, “Shelve these wretched monsters and leave us alone”.
The colour coding on the map of the Vale of Clwyd, Clwydian Range and Hiraethog represented the number of turbines visible by location. Green indicated between one and five visible; pink was up to 32 (in other words all those planned by RWE Npower Renewables). Great swathes of the map were pink, though we must remember that much of these areas are uninhabited or sparsely populated.
First, then, the good news. Very few if anyone in Rhuthun will see any turbines at all. As you move east, however, so progressively more become visible. The villages in an arc from Llanelidan, Rhyd y Meudwy, Pentrecelyn, Graigfechan, Llanbedr Dffryn Clwyd, Hirwaen, Gellifor, Llandyrnog to Llangynhafal are pink and are expected to see all of the turbines. The arc extends north long and up to the peaks of the Clwydian Range. Parts of Dinbych/Denbigh will see more than five. Some of the scattered settlements to the west of Rhuthun and those near the site are also pink.
This, then, is the price the people of Rhuthun and the Vale will pay for renewable energy. Call it a loss of amenity. Is it one worth paying? Have we any choice?
It was disappointing to note that the maps at the exhibition considered only the RWE Npower proposals and not those elsewhere. Remember, there are others planned, agreed or in operation. There are, for instance, a bank of turbines either operating or planned to the south west, south east and north west of the RWE Npower site. Total: towards 100 turbines, when built.
The exhibition was very strong on working with conservation projects and offering community benefits. It seemed that there would be a community payback of some £400,000. No doubt this will be most attractive in rural areas. The exhibitors wished to know how this might be spent and who might benefit. The person who likened the map to colonial British domination also felt this was little short of a bribe. Better simply to spend the money anyway and save the considerable and on-going subsidy payable to the operator, said he. This would be a cheaper option and one that avoids despoliation for limited benefit.
One of the questions the exhibitors were asking was, “If you could do one thing to make your community you live in better, what would it be?” Judging by the views of those present, the question begged the answer, “Shelve these wretched monsters and leave us alone”.
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Wind farms