Thank you to the team at the Brecon & Radnor Express for the inclusion in last week's issue of two excellent articles on wind farm proposals across Powys.

The letter from Michael Love was one of the best that I have read clearly outlining both the extent and the damage that will result from the current wind farm proposals.

Equally enlightening was your article in the News Focus section voicing the fears of the communities surrounding Brecon and Builth Wells at the scale of submissions from energy companies.

The article recounted the views of Councillor Iain McIntosh and the level of feedback which he is receiving regarding the impact that the energy parks would have on both the community and the environment. Whilst Iain and I are positioned at opposite ends of the political spectrum, no one is doing more than him in voicing the concerns of his constituents.I reside on the doorstep of the of the Wind2 Parc Ynni Banc y Celyn scheme and I am extremely grateful for his relentless work and energy in keeping the subject clearly on the agenda. Thankfully, at a grass roots level it is common sense and a will to protect our rural surroundings which is determining the decisions of individuals to push back against these monstrous schemes rather than an adherence to political dogma and persuasions. We are now clearly at a key stage in the application and planning process of the various wind farm schemes where it is necessary to nail our colours to the mast. On the one side sit the energy companies whose greed and ambition know no bounds. Their willingness to offer landowners truly significant sums of money to procure their land is then followed by forcing those in agreement into signing non-disclosure agreements. The so called wind farm public consultation road shows badged as 'collaborations with the community' are little more than tick box PR exercises, staffed by consultants who stick religiously to the party line and deflect any difficult questions claiming that it is outside of their area of expertise. The energy companies are supported and actively promoted by a group of ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ politicians in the Senedd led by First Minister Eluned Morgan. Just last month when discussing renewable energy, it was Eluned Morgan who opined that the people of Powys need to 'make a contribution to Wales’. This staggeringly damning and discourteous statement at least allowed Powys residents to clearly understand how she views our value and worth. Finally in this corner, as unpalatable as it is to state, are those absentee land owners who have succumbed to the filthy lucre offered by the energy companies. Rather than being custodians of the countryside, they will be personally unaffected by the construction of turbines and have opted to sell their souls to the multinational corporations.

Fortunately, the opposing forces are numerous, diverse in their circumstances but equally relentless in their battle against the looming desecration of the countryside. Individual residents across the county are expending inordinate amounts of time and energy in writing letters, utilising social media and challenging the decision makers to agree the right outcomes. Re-Think Wales whose very mission is to save the Welsh countryside from industrialisation is a non-profit organisation whose members constantly give up their time to visit proposed sites, join the residents and share valuable information. Amongst many individuals who have led the charge is Builth Wells Mayor Mark Hammond, who refuses to let the energy companies run rough shod within his area and champions the view that the voices of his community should be heard. Above all else are those farmers, small holding owners and possessors of land who have refused the monetary incentives made by energy companies by recognising the irrevocable damage that would result to the landscape. Heroes all, who we should recognise, support and join them in defence of our beautiful countryside.

Kind Regards

Paul Payne