The Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales is warning people with an interest in the countryside that they have only a few days in which to respond to Powys council’s latest update to its draft Local Development Plan which extends the areas that may be affected by solar and wind farm projects.

The CPRW has condemned the proposals which it claims means 40 per cent of all land in Powys outside the Brecon Beacons National Park could be considered for wind and solar energy generation “with a presumption of planning approval” for any projects that are put forward.

Under the new plans, areas where wind farm developments of up to 14 turbines could, in theory, automatically gain planning approval include Abergwesyn Common, the Begwns, Pant-y-Llin Hill, Merthyr Cynog and Drum Ddu, Llandegley and Abbey-cwm-hir and Hirnant.

“Industrial scale” solar panel schemes could also be allowed in large areas encircling Nantmel, Llanbister and Abereddw and on the hills to the north of Brecon as well as large swathes of Montgomeryshire.

All of this comes after the council’s electricity generating target was increased a few months ago from 50MW to 600MW, signalling a new commitment to sustainable energy generation which the CPRW dismisses as “futile” as “the rest of the world is waking up fast to the pointless duplicated expense of placing intermittent energy sources on the grid”.

It also claims solar and wind farm technologies cause “real harm” to people, wildlife and the environment and criticises Powys council for clinging to the “myth” that these technologies genuinely reduce carbon emissions and create jobs.

The CRPW is angry over the lack of publicity surrounding the changes, which it claims have been “smuggled” into the draft LDP.

CPRW member and Merthyr Cynog resident Tim O’Donnell said his community is one of the areas threatened by a wind farm development and yet the majority of his neighbours are in the dark about the LDP process or what the Further Focussed Changes could mean for them.

Calling for a review of the whole process, he said: "Despite the fact that Powys Council has been working on its LDP since 2011, 80% of those living and canvassed in Merthyr Cynog had never heard of the LDP, nor its Further Focussed Changes nor the siting of a proposed wind farm at the very heart of Merthyr Cynog.

“The LDP itself stresses the need to ’develop plans with continuous community involvement’ and reaffirms that ’citizens should be at the forefront in terms of public involvement and decision making’. In my opinion, the lack of clarity and general cloak of silence surrounding Further Focussed Changes should be resisted and perhaps the whole LDP should be the subject of some form of review to reassert the rights of local residents."

A six-week consultation period on the changes began on October 10, which means the deadline for submitting responses to the Powys LDP Team expires at 5pm on Monday (November 21).

Brecon and Radnor CPRW chairman Peter Seaman said: “We implore everyone who loves our Powys hills to have their say. It is a disgrace that there has been no proper local consultation about this and it seems none is intended. We can respond to the Further Focussed Changes - at least we can, if we can find our way through the thicket of information on the Powys council website where housing and energy documents are scattered at random.”

Powys council requires responses to the consultation to be made by letter or via the internet. If by letter, quote the ’Renewable Energy policy RE1, and Local Search Areas’ and include reference FFC79 and post to: Powys LDP Team, Planning Policy, Powys County Council, The Gwalia, Llandrindod Wells LD1 6AA. If using the internet find the ’October 2016 Further Focussed Changes form’ on the Powys County Council website, quote Renewable Energy policy RE1 and Local Search Areas, quote FFC79 in box 3b and write your views in box 3c. Email completed objections to: [email protected]