‘Stop illegal wind farm inquiry’

Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies has called for the ongoing public inquiry into new local wind farms should be stopped immediately amid concerns that it is illegal.

Mr Davies has written to Ed Davey, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, urging him to stop the inquiry after The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), a body that rules on international conventions, found the UK Government had acted illegally by not allowing public participation in the formulation of renewable energy policy (namely the National Renewable Energy Action Plan).

The new ruling calls into question the legal validity of any further planning consent for all future wind-farm developments based on current policy, both onshore and offshore.

Mr Davies said: “The UN judgment says that the public has been denied the chance to consider and contribute to national renewable energy policy, and that is wrong. The public are legally entitled to contribute to policy development and to have access to this important information. Proper processes have not been followed.

“The UN judgment means that any consent for further wind-farm developments in the UK is liable to legal challenge, and it would be madness to continue considering the merits of five of these developments bearing this in mind.

“The Secretary of State must face up to this challenge to his energy policy, and his responsibilities. The people of mid Wales deserve no less.”

The inquiry started earlier this summer in Welshpool following widespread opposition to plans for new wind farms and relevant infrastructure. A decision was not expected until 2014.