Wales plan identifies 10 wind development regions, 16 heat network priority areas

The Welsh Government has identified ten areas where large scale wind farms would be ‘acceptable in principle’ and 16 priority areas for heat networks in Future Wales, its national plan to 2040.

The plan says Welsh Ministers considered alternatives to new large-scale electricity generation, including building-mounted installations and energy efficiency. But the Welsh target is for 70% of electricity consumption to be generated from renewable energy by 2030, and ministers say that such sources, “will not enable us to meet these objectives on their own”.

The Welsh Government has named 10 ‘Pre-Assessed Areas for Wind Energy’ where, in principle, developments would be acceptable (see map below). The plan says, “In these areas there is a presumption in favour of large-scale on-shore wind energy development and the associated landscape change,” providing they meet a framework of criteria in policy 18. The plan also says that although sites in National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are considered unsuitable for large-scale wind and solar, “Outside of these areas a positive policy framework exists,” although in all the areas, including those pre-assessed, cumulative impacts would be considered.