Friends of the Golden Valley reform (From Hereford Times)

Friends of the Golden Valley reform

8:30am Friday 24th July 2009

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A GOLDEN Valley campaign group has reformed after potential wind farm plans were uncovered more than six years since previous proposals put residents in a spin.

Friends of the Golden Valley aired its concerns this week after Vagar Hill, Cefn Hill and Cusop Hill near the Black Mountains were thought to have been included in a national consultation by Scottish and Southern Energy plc subsidiary Airtricity searching for suitable sites countrywide.

Originally set up to oppose a 50-turbine application from Force 9 Energy Ltd in 2002 that was later withdrawn, the group now fears another major development could be in the offing that, it says, would dominate the Golden Valley, Hay-on-Wye and Hay Bluff.

Member Tony Gray said: “The combined sites cover a huge area and, with turbines these days over 125 metres high, the impact on a wide area of landscape would be immense.”

Hereford MP Paul Keetch, who raised the subject in the House of Commons last time round, has also vowed to fight any subsequent application alongside Hay-on-Wye’s Powys councillor Gareth Ratcliffe, who called it “very disturbing news”.

But Herefordshire’s Golden Valley councillor Philip Price warned against acting too soon and said nothing definite, apart from that a power company was investigating the possibility of installing turbines locally, was known.

Mike Bird of energy consultancy Arcus Renewable confirmed it was working for Airtricity but said searches were taking place nationwide and that at this stage Herefordshire was no more likely to see a new wind farm than anywhere else.

Airtricity spokesperson Ross Easton said county sites had been considered alongside others across Britain in light of Government aims to increase renewable energy five-fold by 2020, but assured residents a full public consultation would take place regarding any of those eventually chosen.

“We look at a number of sites every year and some of them become a reality, and some of them aren’t suitable,” he said.

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