Mark Isherwood AM

NORTH Wales Assembly Member, Mark Isherwood, has questioned the Environment Minister this week about the effect of wind farms on North Wales woodland.

?

Given that only two out of 1,200 responses to the Welsh Government’s consultation on TAN 8 supported the location of the Welsh Government’s Strategic Search Areas (identified by the Welsh Government as the areas in which onshore wind developments should be concentrated), Mr Isherwood asked the Minister to respond to the information from Forestry Commission Wales that total tree felling for turbines and related infrastructure across Clocaenog, Dyfnant and Nant y Moch forests in north Wales - and Brechfa, Rheola and Pen y Cymoedd forests in south Wales - will now reach 400 ha, with up to a 100m radius around each turbine, 25m corridors for new access roads and the removal of 10m from either side of existing roads in each of the areas affected.

The Minister replied: "We remain very committed to TAN 8, because the strategic approach is far better than the alternative, which is termed ‘pepper potting’ and which would not provide stability, certainty or a strategic approach for windfarm development in Wales."