Ceiriog Valley Wind Turbine Proposals To Be Rejected

Proposals to erect five wind turbines in the Ceiriog Valley have been recommended for rejection by Wrexham Council.

The plans submitted by ‘Quiet Revolution’ would have seen five 5kW turbines with a maximum height of 21.5m built to the north of Spring Hill Farm for a duration of 25 years.

The wind turbines received four letters of support from people living nearby with one noting that “renewable energy is good for Wrexham and helps in energy use.”

However, in a report which will go before the planning committee on Monday it is recommended that planning permission be refused on the basis that it fails to respect the special character of the area.

A local councillor strongly objected on the grounds of adverse visual impact and noise from the turbines.

This was supported by the Llansantffraid Glyn Ceiriog Community Council who expressed concerns that it would open the floodgate for other turbine applications

Also the Glyntraian Community Council were worried that the damage of hedgerows and highway in transit could be irreversible.

A previous planning application was refused in 2002 for three wind turbines on land at Cefn Coed 400m away from the application site, however those turbines would have had a maximum height of 91 metres.

The report does acknowledge that the turbines at Spring Hill Farm would have had a small footprint, comparable with the height of rural mobile phone masts, and support the council’s policy of supporting proposals for the generation of energy from renewable sources.

However, the Head of Community Wellbeing and Development concluded that the granting of the application would adversely and unacceptably harm the landscape and visual qualities of the nearby Special Landscape Area.

Picture copyright of Gidzy on Flickr.