People Power Station Launch Event

Posted on November 30, 2009 by admin

Just returned from the West Wales ECO Centre’s new Peoples Power Station project launch evening.

The small village hall in Lawrenny was packed with interested parties. For some reason WWEC have decided not to follow the tried and tested methods being so successfully used by The Green Valleys project in Brecon and expect projects to find their own source of funds rather than acting as a central point for this.

We’ll have to wait and see how good an idea that turns out to be but I’m afraid I have my doubts.

Letter to Jane Davidson AM on permitted development rights in Wales

Posted on November 21, 2009 by admin

Here’s a copy of the letter I have sent today to Jane Davidson AM, Minister for the Environment, Sustainability and Housing in the Welsh Assembly

Hello Ms Davidson,

the Assembly has passed permitted development rights for some forms of microgeneration renewables from 1st September this year, which is very much welcomed, but which ran behind similar implementation for a change to permitted development in England by some 18 months or more. In this legislation wind turbines and Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) were excluded from the scope of the changes due to concerns regarding the potential for noise and vibration nuisance to neighbours (as they were also in England).

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) have just this past week opened a consultation (which will end in February 2010) to gather responses to the inclusion of wind turbines and ASHPs under permitted development, for both domestic and non-domestic properties, subject to certain conditions, but covering just England.

I am most concerned that we in Wales do not repeat the long time delay that attended the introduction of the first tranche of changes to permitted development again.

Can you please confirm that a similar consultation on changes to GPDOs relating to small scale wind and ASHPs will be initiated in Wales without any further delay and make a public announcement to this effect?

Hydro in the Brecon Beacons

Posted on November 12, 2009 by admin

I had a day trip to the Beacons yesterday to find out what they are doing with hydro systems. This was under the guise of our local Transition group (Trawsnewid Calon Teifi) with the day being funded by the Carmarthenshire Energy Agency (minibus and lunch). Our hosts for the day were Grenville and Andy from The Green Valley group (TGV). This is a volunteer-led community organisation although Grenville and Andy are employed by the Brecon Beacons National Park.

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