Teacher's wind farm fear for environment
A Shropshire teacher has warned she is "deeply concerned" about the effect wind farms and an overhead power line through Mid Wales will have on the environment.
Dr Ann Cresswell, who teaches at Adcote School for Girls, Little Ness, near Shrewsbury, told a public inquiry into plans for five wind farms an overhead powerline in Mid Wales that she fears any disruptions to the area's wildlife could result in species diminishing.
Dr Cresswell, who teaches biology and has a degree in ecology, told the inquiry, which is being held at the Royal Oak Hotel in Welshpool, that studies have shown that 60 per cent of all species have declined in the last 50 years.
She said she fears the impact of wind farms and the connection line could have a detrimental impact on the region's wildlife and said that while schemes are often put in place following developments to boost wildlife, they often weren't successful.
She said: "I live in east Montgomeryshire and have enjoyed the beauty and the tranquillity of the area for a number of years and I am deeply concerned about the impact on the wildlife which would be caused by this development.
"For the first time in history, 25 of the leading wildlife conservation groups came together to carry out a report earlier this year and one of the headline findings was hat 60 per cent of all species have declined in number over the last 50 years.
"All this information shows no sign of recovery for our wildlife. Often in schemes such as this wildlife recreation schemes are included in the application designed to regenerate the area's habitat but there is no assurances that these will be successful in the recreation process."
The inquiry is currently almost at half-way stage of the nine-month timetable into the plans.
It is proposed to build wind farms in Llanbadarn Fynydd, near Llandrindod Wells; Llaithddu, near Newtown; Llandinam, near Llanidloes; Llanbrynmair, near Machynlleth; Carnedd Wen, near Machynlleth; with a 132kV overhead electric line connection from a Llandinam wind farm to the Welshpool substation.
The plans are being fought by The Alliance group, which is made up of 21 organisations together with Powys County Council.
Earlier, in the hearing, Mr Simon Bird QC, for Powys County Council, told the inquiry that there is no public justification for the scale of development proposed.
The five planned wind farms are all above the 50 megawatt jurisdiction of the Welsh Assembly, so are dealt with by the UK Government's Department of Energy and Climate Change.
