The Welsh Labour Government has claimed it became aware in April 2011 that developer interest in the areas identified in Technical Advice Note 8 for windfarm development exceeded potential capacity.
However, a review, published in October 2007 for the Welsh Assembly Government’s Planning Division, showed that in some areas interest already outstripped TAN 8’s ‘upper limits’ by almost four times.
TAN 8 identified seven Strategic Search Areas for windfarm development.
Shadow Environment Minister and Montgomeryshire AM Russell George said, “Ministers’ claims that they were first aware in April 2011 of the over-capacity of windfarm development areas is totally at odds with their own report from 2007.
“This document clearly shows that the scale of windfarm developments being proposed in Mid Wales was extreme and unrealistic.
“This is further evidence questioning Welsh Labour Ministers’ claims that they could not have foreseen the considerable interest from wind turbine developers in construction across Mid Wales.
“Ministers need to explain why they failed to react to warnings from authoritative sources that windfarm proposals exceeded capacity.
“Welsh Labour Ministers are desperately trying to distance themselves from their own policies which led directly to the prospect of overdevelopment on some of Wales’ most beautiful landscapes.
“It is increasingly apparent that TAN 8 is losing all credibility as a robust document designed to provide for Wales’ energy needs.
“Ministers need to come clean and accept that TAN 8 is deeply flawed and should undergo a thorough cross-party review.”
