Monday, February 18, 2008

Stalked by Aliens

I live in a beautiful area, where the landscape brings joy and wonder to many of those who share my good fortune, and the many thousands who come to share it with us in their leisure time. We should take great care of this truly wonderful, inspiring countryside that makes up the old county of Montgomeryshire. Is it right, or even sane that we should allow hundreds of massive wind turbines to intrude into this special place? Our Assembly Government thinks it is.

Today, I met with the Head of Planning for Powys County Council to learn the extent of wind farm development in Northern Powys, where two Strategic Search Areas are located, one around the village of Carno, and one just over the Montgomeryshire border in Radnorshire. This is where you have to suspend belief. Into this joyous landscape, planning applications for 3 new wind farms have been submitted over the last few weeks, and another 12 (Yes 12) are expected over the next few weeks. This is Government inspired vandalism of a very high order.

OK, so I could live with one or two wind farms - but 15, on top of what's here already. Personally, I do not blame landowners for maximising income from their property - they have a responsibility to their families. And neither do I blame energy companies, who have a responsibility to their shareholders. Responsibility falls entirely on the Governments who have ignored the development of other renewable energy sources, and failed to address the approaching energy gap because it required the taking of difficult decisions. Governments have failed us - and the only pathetic, doomed-to-fail response today's Government can come up with is one which desecrates this beautiful corner the planet Earth. Its tragic.

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