New bid for Pembrokeshire's tallest wind turbines withdrawn from planning committee (From Western Telegraph)

Quite shocking dont you think that the planners should think it a good idea to recommend the two giant turbines that have already been quashed by the courts council at a cost of roughly£30,000 to be paid out by the the council. After attending the council meeting today where the planners recommended refusal for a totally different single turbine due to adverse affect on landscape and archaeological remains,it is quite apparent that the landscape, the archaeological remains and the fact that an equestrian farm would probably close down are of no concern to the planners for princes gate water which leads to the question Why do they keep pushing this one?

The solicitors and barrister who managed to get the consent quashed said they had never in their career seen anything like it? These are people who fight FOR as well as against turbines leaders in this field but cannot understand the irrational decision in their opinion on why the turbines would for a second time be recommended by planners when they know the application to be so flawed with errors as proved by the barrister , we can all see another judicial review on the cards at probably again similar costs for the tax payers well done pembrokeshire planners!!

There doesn't seem to be ANY planning consistency regarding wind turbines - one has to start looking for more less pleasant explanations... Here is an example just today where PCC planners recommended refusal for a tiny turbine in comparison to the Princes Gate Spring Water x2 86.5m turbines. Why? they deemed the application on behalf of local employer AJ Recycling (Boncath) would have significant adverse impact on the character and visual amenity of the local area. In addition they cited impact on archaelogical remains and cumulative impact. Really? lets compare the two applications and you then tell me there isn't something VERY unethical (in my opinion) untoward going on at PCC.
1. AJ are a local employer of 14 this could rise to additional 21 if they can increase the efficiency of their plant. Princes Gate Spring Water have cited the same reason for their turbine application - to improve output and local jobs.
2. Boncath application was deemed to have adverse effect on the landscape even though it is half the size of the PGSW application. Princes Gate turbines would sit on the highest ridge in South Pembrokeshire and be viewable from the National Park, Preseli Hills, Camarthenshire and a radius far greater than the Boncath application.
3. The PGSW turbines would be situated just 200m away from a scheduled ancient monument of national importance - Castell Mehrin and listed buildings/ Boncarth was refused on archaelogical grounds
4. PPCs own consultants (DAT) have stated this application will have a high impact on historical and cultural aspects with a moderate impact on the visual impact
5. The Council have already had their ruling to grant planning permission for these turbines quashed in the High Court due to misinterpretation or in other words being selective with information
6. There are 9 turbines either consented to or awaiting planning permission for the Ludchurch area, again Boncath was turned down due to accumulative impact of turbines some distance away.

So why are they refusing smaller turbine who incidentally have the support of the local community?

This really is the stuff of BBC Panorama. Even today in the planning meeting at the Council at Councillor Phil Baker expressed concern that the minutes did not accurately reflect what was said at the last meeting!

The Council seem determined to push through the Princes Gate application even though it is still flawed with errors that will be brought to account via another Judicial review. How much tax payers money are they going to waste and at what point is there any accountability for their actions?

We also know there is limited grid connectivity left which is why PGSW application is being determined before Hill Farm and BlaenC.Farm application even though technically this should be relegated behind the previous two applications as it has been quashed and should be decided from "de novo i.e from a fresh. If the others did get approved first where would that leave PGSW ? no connection no wind turbines.

So, I think the facts speak for themselves and you don't need me to point out the obvious. PCC will try and respond with mitigation and answers but the fact is the Council are still breaking with policy and being "selective"

Fortunately the residents of Ludchurch have much support and more importantly some deep pocketed supporters at that !

From the start Pembrokeshire Council they have behaved with shocking disregard towards the rights of local people whose ways of life, properties and businesses would be blighted by this development if it were ever to happen. Some of the neighbours who lived within 500m of the proposed turbines, which would be higher than Nelsons column and have blades that sweep half an acre of sky, were not even informed of the proposals by the Council.

According to UKrenewables.com, a website that specialises in helping landowners with their ambitions to make huge amounts of money from selling power to the National Grid, the profit from a development of this size in these wind conditions would have been between 10 – 15 million pounds over 25 years. The capital costs would be paid off within four years and the running costs after that are about 5 - 10%. AS far as I m aware the applicants have never challenged these figures which I have circulated in the local community. The website tells us that a large part of this income, about £6 - 700,000 pa, would be index linked and tax free money. In effect it would be an income stream of untaxed spending money going up in value every year paid in the turbine owners bank account. The applicants say the application is all about providing energy is to help their business survive in tough times, but it is a separate income they get whether or not their bottled water business continues to exist!

At the other end of the equation you have an equestrian centre which had been there for 27 years and breeds and breaks in thoroughbred horses, and has children visiting on their horses. People who are providing a service to their local community. We all know how easy it is for horses to be spooked when they are nervous, there were accidents at Pembrokeshire showground when a turbine was put near the arena where horses were being ridden, and the planners were told by their own Animal Welfare Inspectors that the situation they were creating was likely to be dangerous for the users of the Equine centre. In their report, instead of informing councillors on the planning committee about these important considerations to the risks to children’s lives, they played down the advice to the point where the meaning seemed to become reversed.

What was delivered last night was a compendium of further evidence of the danger of horses being spooked by these turbines which are being placed by Council planners across the county near bridal ways. No doubt they will be using our ratepayers money to look for ways to play down the warnings again so that they can represent this sort of application yet again.

Today was just one more instance of planners behaving in an insensitive way towards the general public. In a shallow plan they slipped the return of the application on to the agenda a few days before the meeting and informed no-one locally about their action. They did not provide the statutory period of 21 days for the public to react to their revised and amended report. This application is doomed. The Judicial Review they lost cited eight major reasons why the decision of Council could be challenged and overturned in the Courts. The planners have dealt with one of those inadequately, and the next time round there are likely to be even more major reasons because the planners are making things worse not better.

I'm afraid the Bizarre Planners Syndrome is rife throughout Wales, not just Pembrokeshire, with regard to the passing of wind turbines in the most unsuitable locations. In Powys the single turbines are springing up all over the place and there has been at least one instance where planners passed one such development in unadulterated outstanding landscape (as described by CCWs LANDMAP report), while ignoring not just an appallingly flawed application, but very strong opposition which included a number of small businesses.
Planning structure, democracy and civilised respect for communities is breaking down rapidly in Wales, being replaced by a what appears to be a tribal reaction by such luminaries as CCW, county councils and WAG. Beads and totems are most definitely the order of the day, but I doubt that those who rape our glorious landscapes are intelligent enough to understand that. And despite the considerable dangers to people and animals, the Health & Safety Executive stay well away from wind turbine developments. The industry can do what it likes.
I have now stopped drinking bottled water from a certain company in Pembrokeshire.

Having looked at all the comments I think this is a case of not in my back yard!

I had to move 25 year's ago to get work so in my view if it secures job's and possibly creates more then the planners should give the go-ahead