A Reform UK MS has expressed concerns regarding two applications for wind farm developments planned for the area of Coity Mountain and Mynydd Llanhilleth, submitted by RWE Renewables and Pennant Walters.

Fronting the Torfaen Borough Council's planning committee, the Laura Anne Jones has said that the RWE proposal for Coity Mountain “is of particular concern,” due to qualms about the potential impact the scheme may have on the Blaenavon World Heritage Site. The Member of Senedd has also expressed the importance of the area's World Heritage status, awarded by UNESCO in 2000, and that any risk to its recognition “must be taken with utmost seriousness”.

The MS then added that she is “deeply worried about the potential harm to our heritage, culture and tourism.”

Although Torfaen plans to oppose the RWE wind farm proposal in order to reduce the impact on the Blaenavon World Heritage site, the final ruling can only be decided by Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) as a result of the site's heritage status and national significance.

Ms Jones has also expressed that there have been objections raised about this proposal from local residents as well as Torfaen council and heritage bodies.

The Pennant Walters scheme originally planning for the installation of eight wind turbines at Mynydd Llanhilleth has been withdrawn since July 2024, however, a new proposal for seven turbines in the area has since been presented, the endorsement of which will be determined by 5th September by the Torfaen council but is yet to reach a verdict. The MS has raised further qualms that the “cumulative impact of multiple large-scale wind developments across our valleys” if this scheme were to go ahead.

The MS went on to affirm Reform UK's policy on environment, stating that the party supports production of affordable energy in Wales but “not at the expense of our heritage, environment, or the wishes of local people”.

You can find more information about the upcoming windfarm plans here.