Written - The Disposal of Land Managed by Forestry Commission Wales for Wind-Farms

Climate change is probably the biggest challenge facing the world today and action over the next decade is crucial.

Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are currently equivalent to 430ppm, and are currently rising at an average rate of 2.2ppm per year, up from an average of 1.5ppm per year in the period 1970-2000.

Given the need for urgent action on climate change, it is important to pursue all available alternatives.

On-shore wind power is the main commercially-viable and available renewable technology capable of being developed on any substantial scale. Wales’ weather and geography means we are well-placed to use it.  If we are serious about combating climate change, and about Wales making it appropriate contribution to combating global warming, we have to walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

In pursuance of this aim, we have assessed the potential for locating major wind farms on Assembly Government owned Forestry Commission land in the strategic search areas shown in TAN8.

The Forestry Commission Wales land comprises over half the land within the TAN8 strategic search areas.  For the Assembly Government not to consider the use of this land for wind-farm development would significantly undermine any credible greenhouse gas reduction strategy..

The process of selecting preferred developers to be offered an option to develop wind-farms in these areas which began in December 2005 has now been completed.


The wind-farms proposed for development on this land are designed in an innovative way to keep the number of trees that will have to be felled to a minimum. Key-hole felling will be used so that the base of each turbine will be embedded in the woodland. Therefore, the area of land needed to accommodate the proposed developments is only around 0.3% of the total Assembly woodland estate of nearly 110,000 hectares (272,000 acres), and only around 1.3% of the FCW managed land in the strategic search areas.

The lease will require each company to remove the turbines and any other infrastructure down to one metre below ground level at the end of the life of the wind-farm – so the long-term visual impact on the Welsh landscape will be minimal.

The award of these options does not guarantee that development will take place but only that the bidders are now able to seek planning consent. Each proposal will be subject to thorough scrutiny as part of the planning process, in which the Assembly Government has no statutory role.

As part of the application for planning consent, careful consideration will be given to the siting of turbines, their height and visual impact, and detailed environmental impact assessments will be carried out.

These developments will generate up to £4m a year in direct community benefits. This could be in the form of support for the construction of a community facility, lump sum or annual payments for the benefit of the community, or a commitment from the developer to use local labour and services wherever possible.

These benefits must be negotiated with, and channelled through a regulated and properly constituted body or trust (this could include the local authority) to support sustainable development. TAN8 also considered it essential that at least part of any annual payment should be invested in carbon emissions reduction measures in the local community.

The development of wind power is crucial in our drive to generate more renewable energy, and for this reason I am pleased to announce this important next step in the Government’s plans.