Have your say on Brechfa Forest Connection

Western Power Distribution (WPD) is coming to the end of its seven week public consultation on the detailed plans for the Brechfa Forest Connection Project.  Consultation closes on Friday, 16 January 2015 so there are less than two weeks left for people to have their say.

Public consultation started on 28 November 2014 with more than 8,000 Carmarthenshire residents invited to comment on WPD’s plans to connect Brechfa Forest West Wind Farm to the electricity network using wooden poles and underground cables.

The consultation is likely to be the last chance people will have to comment on the application for consent before it is submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in 2015.

WPD is responsible for connecting the power that would be generated by RWE Innogy UK Ltd’s already consented Brechfa Forest West Wind Farm.  The total length of the connection is about 28.6 km (17.8 miles) of which WPD is proposing to underground around 3.4 km (2.1 miles).

A series of public exhibitions has been held along the proposed route, with a further two set for Friday, 9th and Saturday, 10th January.  A 3D model of the proposals will be available to view and members of the project team will be on hand to answer any questions. 

Andrew Hubbold at WPD said: “This will probably be the last opportunity for people to have their say on the proposed development before we submit our application for a development consent order to the Planning Inspectorate.

“We want to be able to consider everyone’s views before we refine the final design. I encourage people to come to an event and tell us what they think about the plans before the close of consultation.”

The remaining exhibitions will be held at the following locations:

Alltwalis Community Centre, The Old School, Alltwalis, Carmarthen SA32 7EB: Friday, January 9, 2015, 3pm to 8pm

St Peter’s Civic Hall, Carmarthen, 1 Nott Square, Carmarthen, SA31 1PG: Saturday, January 10, 2015, 10am to 4pm

All the relevant comments made in the statutory consultation will be registered for consideration and summarised in a report which will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate as part of WPD’s Development Consent Order application.

This is the third round of consultation that WPD has carried out and follows a round of consultation events in summer 2013 with elected representatives and community user groups, and public consultation events in early 2014.

Copies of the Statement of Community Consultation, which sets out how WPD is consulting, can be viewed at our Information points and on the project website (www.westernpower.co.uk/brechfaforest). This document has been agreed with Carmarthenshire County Council.

Information about the connection project and the forthcoming consultation events is available on the website.