Wales a soft touch for monstrous turbines

THE other day I had a letter in the “Voice of Wales”, the Western Mail, drawing attention to the 26 gargantuan 825-foot-high wind turbines (Eiffel Tower is only 1,060ft!) proposed next to Maesteg Golf Course, Bryn village, on a 1,000ft hill overlooking Maesteg and Port Talbot. It was my second letter, yet not a single person from south Wales has responded to it in your columns. Why?

Now, we have a letter from the very opposite end of Wales, from Non Davies of Llangernyw, a truly beautiful scenic area, five miles inland of Colwyn Bay, in the foothills of lovely Mynydd Hiraethog and a stone’s throw from Snowdonia National Park.

She again mentions absolutely monstrous 820ft wind turbines. Unbelievable! They will totally ruin the natural view from Snowdon.

I can’t find wind turbines of that height anywhere in the USA, and Wales is only the area of tiny Massachusetts. Again, like at Maesteg, they are proposed by outside developers cashing in on Wales. Why? Because Wales and its politicians are a soft touch. Easy money to be made. Leviathans of this size would not even be contemplated in England. In fact, try applying for one tiny 150ft wind turbine on the Cotswolds and wait for the furore

from the wealthy Nimbys.

Yet all Welsh wind turbines must be powering England, because Wales only averages 1,850MW usage of electricity, while the state-of-theart, newish, gas-fired power station at Pembroke generates 2100MW, in the furthest westerly point of Wales.

By the way, these monsters would tumble north Wales house prices within a 10-miles radius, because “the lovely view” will be ruined. With machines of this size, noise is also bound to be a major issue.

That’s why Non Davies’ neighbours have had “noise agreement” offers or bribes. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.

LJ Jenkins Gwbert, Cardigan