Parish councillors feel Cusop Hill, near Hay-on-Wye, is unsuitable for Airticity's commercial windfarm (From Hereford Times)

Parish councillors feel Cusop Hill, near Hay-on-Wye, is unsuitable for Airticity's commercial windfarm

8:20am Wednesday 26th August 2009 in

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A PARISH council near Hay-on-Wye wants to remind Herefordshire planning officers that land nearby is officially unsuitable for wind farms, after developers showed an interest.

Cusop councillors said at their parish meeting it was too early to comment on developments arising from a nationwide site search by Scottish and Southern Energy subsidiary Airtricity, which counted Cusop, Cefn and Vagar Hills as possible locations.

But they will be bringing stipulations in the parish plan – which specifically states Cusop Hill and surrounding ridges are inappropriate locations for commercial windfarms – to the fore in anticipation of any subsequent applications.

Ian Jardin, parish clerk, said: “The parish council decided that things are at such an early stage, and there is nothing absolutely certain, it felt it was premature to say anything about the scheme.

“But it does want to draw attention to related items in the parish plan for Cusop.”

Campaign group Friends of the Golden Valley, which reformed in response to the news, also met on the same day to discuss concerns.

The group said that as proceedings were at such an early stage it would not be making any major decisions until developers made their intentions clear.

Airtricity confirmed last month that they were seeking suitable sites but said at this stage Herefordshire was no more likely to see a wind farm than anywhere else.