BUTE Energy has written to a number of councillors saying they are able to build windfarms anywhere except for national parks and national landscapes.

Last month, councillors on Powys County Council’s Planning committee received the Local Impact Report (LIR) on Bute Energy’s Nant Mithil Energy Park proposal at Radnor Forest near Llandrindod Wells.

This scheme includes 30 wind turbines that are up to 220 metres in height.

The planning application is being dealt with by Welsh Government planning inspectors, as it is classed as a Development of National Significance (DNS), which means that Powys council is a consultee and not a decision maker.

The LIR is the authority’s chance to feed into the consultation.

At the meeting, councillors raised concerns that the application is not in a pre-assessed area (PAA) for windfarms.

These are parts of the country that have already been investigated and are deemed to be capable of accommodating large-scale onshore wind energy development in an acceptable way, and there is a presumption in favour of approving these applications.

The site is on the boundary of one of these areas.

Cllr Elwyn Vaughan (Plaid Cymru – Glantwymyn) said: “It’s not good having applications outside the pre-assessed areas because it’s like us having an application for a housing development outside the LDP (Local Development Plan).

“There’s a feeling that the pre-assessed areas have been torn up and thrown out of the window, and that’s why we’re getting proposals left, right and centre throughout the county.”

He believed the pre-assessed areas, which come from the Future Wales Act, should be used as a planning tool for these types of development so that “everybody knows where they stand” and it’s not like the “Wild West.”

Councillors went on to agree the LIR, which has now been lodged with PEDW.

Following this meeting, Bute Energy’s senior project manager Dafydd Williams provided councillors with his opinion on pre-assessed areas for wind turbine developments.

He even asks councillors whether they would find “further conversation” on this topic useful.

Mr Williams said: “Future Wales makes clear that pre-assessed areas do not preclude the potential for large scale onshore wind development elsewhere other than in National Parks and National Landscapes.

“Outside of these areas a positive policy framework still exists.”

He explains that this is “subject” to Policy 18 within Future Wales: the national plan 2040 (Future Wales) is the national development plan for Wales.

Mr Williams said: “In addition, as (planning) officers indicated at the meeting, the Powys Local Development Plan Policy RE1 provides in principle support for renewable energy projects both within and adjoining pre-assessed areas.

“I trust this explains the difference between pre-assessed areas and settlement boundaries, that members (councillors) may be more familiar with.”

The Nant Mithil proposal has been put on pause following “significant concerns” about the project raised by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Powys County Council and Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority (BBNPA).

It is expected that hearing sessions will take place before planning inspectors make their minds up on the project and provide Welsh Government ministers with a recommendation on how to decide it.