A COUNCILLOR has claimed it is “disappointing” a senior cabinet member won’t take a position against a proposed solar farm.
Conservative councillor Fay Bromfield has organised a petition opposing a possible 304-acre solar farm planned for 12 parcels of land around Ponthir and stretching across three local authority boundaries.
Her “say no to the solar farm” petition has already attracted more than 600 signatures and opposes the development on the grounds of losing agricultural land, impacting rural communities, and inadequate infrastructure, among other concerns.
At Monmouthshire’s County Council’s May meeting Cllr Bromfield, who represents Llangybi Fawr, asked the council’s Labour cabinet member responsible for planning Cllr Paul Griffiths for his position on “the loss of prime agricultural land for energy generation”.
Cllr Griffiths said he didn’t believe the council should take a “fixed position for or against energy generation” as he noted some councils in England have.
But he said he is aware of the proposed solar farm at Ponthir, including within Cllr Bromfield’s ward, and added an appraisal of the proposal, considering “many factors” would need to be considered before the council takes a position on the application that will be submitted to the Welsh Government for a decision.
But he said its planning department has told Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) it believes an environmental impact assessment of the plans will be required.
Cllr Bromfield said she had wanted the council’s administration to oppose the Ponthir development and said: “It is disappointing that you won’t take a position on this. I understand where you are coming from but I’ve got over 200 acres in my ward that is going to become, potentially, black fields.”
Applicant Bluestone Court Farm Ltd has put forward the project, also involving a substation, with the capacity to generate 46 megawatts located on land within the Welsh Water treatment plant near Ponthir.
Cllr Bromfield said the potential loss of land for food production is among the reasons she is opposed to the scheme. The applicants have said land could still be used for grazing and would be returned to green fields at the end of its 40-year operation.
Local residents were due to hold a meeting in Ponthir village hall on Friday, May 16 to discuss their opposition to the proposal.
The article was written by Zoe Picton
