The public consultation on controversial plans for the Nant Mithil Energy Park in Radnor Forest has been suspended until January, according to a notice published by Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW).

The update, dated December 17, states that the consultation on the Development of National Significance (DNS) application has been paused to allow PEDW to review the “availability of redacted information”, and due to the Christmas holiday period and inspector availability. The consultation is expected to resume in January.

PEDW said that all representations received up to December 17 will still be processed, but any submissions made after that date will not be published until the consultation reopens in the new year.

PEDW has not yet confirmed an exact date for when the consultation will reopen in January.

The suspension comes after a packed public meeting in Llandrindod Wells recently, where more than 300 residents gathered to discuss the proposals and were urged to submit responses before an advertised December 23 deadline.

MS for Brecon and Radnorshire James Evans, who organised the meeting, said the pause would cause confusion for residents who had not yet lodged their views.

“To suspend such a controversial planning application is a curious decision and one that will cause confusion amongst those yet to lodge their submissions,” he said. “I will be writing to PEDW to raise my concerns – how are residents going to know when the planning application is back open?”

Mr Evans continued: “I have received PEDW’s letter as I have already lodged my objection, but there are many people out there yet to do so, and they will be unaware of this suspension. How will PEDW contact such people to inform them the window for submissions is back open in January? Are they expecting people to log into their website, which is difficult to navigate at the best of times, to check for updates on a daily basis?

“My personal feeling is that their systems and personnel are being overloaded with the responses, which is testament to the amazing efforts of the people of Mid Wales have all put in to inundate PEDW with material planning objections.”

As a result, a Powys County Council planning meeting, where councillors were to receive a Local Impact Report (LIR) on the energy park, scheduled for tomorrow (Friday), has been cancelled.

As a Development of National Significance (DNS), the application is being handled by Welsh Government Planning Inspectors at PEDW, with Powys County Council acting only as a statutory consultee.

Nant Mithil Energy Park is a proposed energy park from developer Bute Energy in Radnor Forest, around 9km east of Llandrindod Wells. The proposal includes 30 turbines up to 220m in height, which the developer says will generate 198MW of green energy.

The project has attracted strong local opposition, with concerns raised over landscape impact, tourism annd the cumulative effect of large-scale wind developments in the area.

PEDW has been approached by the Brecon & Radnor Express for comment.