IPC accepts Brechfa Forest West wind farm application for examination

By admin | Published: November 30, 2011

On Wednesday 30 November 2011, the IPC accepted an application for a proposed wind farm to proceed to examination. The application for a wind farm located in Brechfa Forest, north of Carmarthen was submitted by RWE Npower Renewables on 4 November 2011.

This is the first application for a wind farm in Wales to be submitted for consideration to the IPC and the decision to accept the application to proceed has been made ahead of the statutory 28 day deadline, having regard to section 55 of the Planning Act 2008. The decision is based on a range of considerations, including the adequacy of public consultation undertaken by the developer.

A copy of the application can be viewed at the Brechfa Forest West wind farm project page.

The Planning Act 2008, which established the IPC, sets high standards for applications and places a strong duty upon developers to involve the local community, local authorities and other stakeholders in the development of their proposal, ahead of submission.

Sir Michael Pitt, Chair of the IPC, said: “Acceptance of this application for examination does not mean that consent will be given for the project to go ahead – acceptance of the application simply means that the IPC can begin to make arrangements for the formal examination of the application”

It is now for RWE Npower Renewables to publicise the fact that the application has been accepted to proceed to IPC examination. They will then announce the period in which the public can register with the IPC and make a representation on the application.

Anyone who registers with the IPC and submits a valid representation becomes an interested party in the application.  This provides them with the opportunity to participate in the examination, including attending, and requesting to speak at hearings, as well as submitting a more detailed written representation, if desired.

A decision on whether or not to grant development consent for this proposal will follow the IPC’s examination and is expected to be made by the Secretary of State for Energy in 2012.

The progress of this application can be followed on twitter – @BrechfaWindFarm