After extensive environmental studies and a review of the feedback collected during the early engagement carried out in late 2021, Pennant Walters has announced the launch of its statutory consultation on detailed proposals for Mynydd y Glyn wind farm in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

This is the second statutory consultation exercise that Pennant Walters has undertaken in the space of 5 months – the first being that for its wind farm proposals at Mynydd Carn-y-Cefn in Blaenau Gwent, which was held during the summer.

The RCT site is located three kilometres to the west of Pontypridd, adjacent to Pre-Assessed Area 9 for wind energy. The proposals include up to seven wind turbines with a maximum blade height of 180m and ancillary development including a substation and transformer housing, temporary construction compounds and site offices, crane pads and cabling, and access tracks.

Pennant Walters estimate that the wind farm will generate up to 30MW of electricity, which is equivalent to providing enough power to meet the annual electricity needs of approximately 15,376 homes. The wind farm has been designed with an operational life of 30 years, exporting renewable energy to the National Grid.

Once again, Pennant Walters is going above and beyond requirements with their consultation which includes a virtual exhibition and a full collection of draft planning application documentation. This will include the Planning Statement, Environmental Statement, and Design and Access Statement, all of which is available on the project website: www.mynydd-y-glyn.co.uk . The Welsh company will also hold three public exhibitions to showcase the project and provide an opportunity for residents to discuss the proposals with members of the project team:

The consultation will give the communities close to the project the chance to examine the plans and provide comments/responses for the project team to consider before finalising the Development of National Significance (DNS) application. The application will then be submitted to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) for consideration before being determined by Welsh Ministers.

Meryl Lewis, Director of Environment and Sustainability for Pennant Walters said:

“Mynydd y Glyn Wind Farm will provide energy for thousands of homes in Wales, which in the context of an energy crisis is a great opportunity for homegrown renewable energy generation.

“We place huge value on the communities we engage with during the consultation process and look forward to hearing from them as they examine our plans. There is also the opportunity for residents and stakeholders to have a say in the Community Benefits Fund attached to the project, particularly how it should be managed and the types of local projects it could support.”

Based on 30MW, the fund could generate £150,000 per annum for communities in the Mynydd y Glyn area, which over the 30-year project lifetime would equate to £4.5m. To date, Pennant Walters has distributed over £4 million to qualifying projects from the Community Benefits Funds for its other wind farm projects in Wales.

The consultation closes on 9 December 2022.