Dear Villagers of Treoes, Llangan and St Mary Hill
The Treoes SOLAR group needs your URGENT support!
Save Our Local Agricultural Resources
On Tuesday this week the Llangan Community Council formally OPPOSED the development of a
'largescale' 12 acre solar project at Court Farm, Treoes. Now the project is up for approval by the
Vale of Glamorgan Council. We are appealing to ALL villagers, in ALL areas, if you haven't already
done so, to write in and oppose this project on the basis that we want to save our beautiful rural
landscape and stop such developments using good quality agricultural land. Before it disappears!
Look at what has already happened in recent months - the turbine at Ford, the turbines at St Mary
Hill. So PLEASE find time to write in or go online to respond as we know that recent similar
projects in a rural setting have failed when people took the time to write in and oppose. Deadline:
18 FEB
Our group has looked at the proposal. We do not believe developers have been entirely open and
honest and inconvenient truths are left out. So to help you we are attaching some important issues
found in the application which you might like to include in your response.
We don't need to tell you just how narrow the lanes are from Yr Efail to Ty Candy to Moor Farm.
You've probably walked them many times with your children and dogs, jogged it or used the lanes to
horse ride. You already know how narrow the lanes are in parts, how difficult the corners are, seen
the overhanging trees, know how vulnerable the verges are and how vital the watercourses are to
our flood defence systems. HOWEVER did you know that because a 36ft bin lorry can manage the
journey each fortnight, the Vale's Highways Dept has decided that the lanes are just fine for the
development! Important: they have reached this conclusion without the developer or Highways
undertaking the lorry road test that was promised at the public meeting in October. We think they
want to gain permission for the project first. Manage the problems later!
So what Highways are saying is that it is OK for 12m 4 axle flatbed lorries to travel the lanes 150
times to manage the project, to bring in 8976 solar panels, extrusions up to 15m in length,
portacabins, transformers and switchgear. It will also be OK for a 10 tonne tipper to travel 40 times
through the lanes with aggregates. There will be up to 50 people working each day, travelling in and
out of the village by car or mini bus. Best of all .. they will be bringing in a 40 tonne crane. Go and
do a google search ….. see what a 40 tonne crane looks like! But don't worry .. …... the developers
have said they will have a van with a flashing light in front of all vehicles and they will put right any
damage caused!!
Do remember it is only the landowner and the German promoters who will make any money and it is
only because they are heavily subsidised by UK taxpayers that these projects are viable at all! If you
don't write in and this project goes ahead we will be left with a blot on the landscape, only 185m
from local housing and the loss of good agricultural land. Leading to the VERY serious question …...
which part of the countryside, perhaps close to you, will disappear next ??
Overleaf is how to write in and oppose, by letter or online. Attached are some of our concerns.
PLEASE DO SOMETHING … the deadline is 18 February
Thanks for reading. We look forward to your support!
There are 2 ways of registering your comments.
You can send more than one letter per household provided it is from a different person and is in
different words.
BY LETTER
Send to:
M GOLDSWORTHY
Operational Manager Development and Building Control
The Vale of Glamorgan Council
Dock Office,
Barry Docks,
Barry CF63 4RT
Reference top of letter with:
APPLICATION 2015/00026/FUL/IR – COURT FARM TREOES
ONLINE:
go to http://vogonline.planning-register.co.uk
click on the PLANNING SEARCH button on left hand side
insert COURT FARM TREOES into ' location' or insert the full application number above. Press the
SEARCH button at bottom
This will take you to all documents to view.
Click on COMMENT ON THIS APPLICATION to leave your views/comments
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attached are just some of the planning concerns we have about the proposed solar development.
Sure you will have more of your own to add. Hopefully you will include at least one, hopefully
more, into your response.
INCREASED RISK TO FLOODING
The Flood Consequence Assessment submitted is INACCURATE and sets out, in our opinion, to
specifically MISLEAD councillors. It takes no account of,and importantly makes no mention at all,
that this part of Treoes is officially registered as being in a HIGH RISK C2 FLOOD ZONE. The report
only comments on the actual risk of flooding to the fields allocated for the project. They have been
graded at A1, minimal risk! It makes no mention that despite various significant defence systems
already in place (a major system to direct the river through the village, several auto holes in walls
opposite Rothwell and Bodafon to allow floodwater to drain into the river and a recently built bund
on the right hand side of the farm gate) that water with debris cascades down the hill from Court
Farm EVERY YEAR and floods the area. This flooding is often so great it affects not only Yr Efail but
parts of Nant Canna, Brookside and also houses Rothwell and Bodafon. Water so deep at times it
comes over wellington boots as local people try to clear drains and openings, that rain often floods
gardens, reaches doorsteps and comes into garages.
Some residents have had insurance refused.
We learn that hedgerows will be removed. The whole 12 acre area will be disturbed to facilitate the
build, 20,000 metal pylons be put into the ground, 8976 panels will create partial shade of land.
This will lead to reduced vegetation, soil erosion leading to even more water and debris flowing into
the road.
All that is mentioned in the Flood Consequence Assessment is 'there is occasional ponding around
the gate'. It tells councillors there are no flood risks and states no watercourses are within 20m of
the project ! But it is NOT funny is it? If you do nothing else please write and tell VOGC the truth ...
they have not been presented with all the facts. We need to make them aware of what actually
happens, remind them of the high risk flood zone most of us live in and make sure they understand
our concerns regarding increasing flood risks if this project proceeds.
TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE USE OF GOOD QUALITY AGRICULTURAL LAND
The 12 acres for erection of 8976 panels is described as grade 3a, which is a good quality capable of
sustaining crops and sheep grazing. It is one of 3 top grades, is referred to as 'Best and Most
Versatile' and should enjoy significant protection from development. Please urge the local
authority to retain this land for agricultural purposes only.
We believe the tide is turning for such developments. They are not economically viable, they only
exist because of government subsidies. This project creates no local employment. Only the
landowner and German promoter win!
The government position is moving away from promoting largescale mounted rural schemes like the
one at Court Farm in preference for brownfield and commercial/ residential rooftop generation.
Environment Secretary Liz Truss has called solar farms 'a blight on the countryside, that the ugly
rows of solar farms were taking up land that could be used for food production'.
Swansea Council rejected plans in August 2014 due to similar objections raised by local residents
when a high number of letters was received.
Secretry of State for Communities and Local Government,Eric Pickles also rejected a planning
application for a solar farm at Hacheston, Suffolk and ruled that the project would 'have an adverse
impact on the landscape'. He also ruled that 'the loss of a substantial area of productive agricultural
land for at least 25 years was another negative factor'.
Don't forget VOGC policies do state 'The distinctive rural character of the Vale of Glamorgan will be
protected and enhanced'. Just how can a solar project 185m from housing on good quality land truly
protect and enhance our area????
NOISE ISSUES IMPACTING ON HOUSING ONLY 185m AWAY
The impact of noise during the actual installation period itself of 15+ weeks is of huge concern to us
– traffic, the assembling and piling of almost 20,000 metal supports into the ground. The application
suggests the completed project will be 'silent' but is not backed up with scientific proof. Of course
we all know why, as solar projects of this type are never SILENT. Ventilation fans are needed in
summer, there will be noise from substations, inverters, transformers and one of these is located
close to homes. Despite us asking for more info on noise levels this has not been provided. Stand by
solar panels in mild or windy conditions .. or in heavy rain. They are not silent then! We are
concerned.
THE TRANSPORT PLAN
We have several arguments with the transport plan. The route proposed is totally inappropriate ..
we believe DANGEROUS! Throughout the village there are 7.5t limit signs and speed restrictions.
However we learn this does not apply to the narrow lanes they propose to use ... so technically it will
be OK for them to bring in whatever tonnage they wish.
Road B (from Waterton Estate requiring a 90 degree bend at Moor Farm to Ty Candy crossroads)
and Road A (from Ty Candy to the proposed entrance at Yr Efail) are both inaccurately described as
being 3-4m wide with verges! Road B is described as single track but Road A is described as a two
way carriageway. For the avoidance of any doubt councillors must be told that both roads really
are single track tarmacked LANES, with the odd passing place here and there, that in parts lanes are
as narrow as 2m, 2.3m, mostly under 3m wide and there are few parts as described! There are
some very acute turning places, at Moor Farm, at the Ty Candy crossroads and also into the site
entrance itself. But you know this, you've walked the lanes.
The report makes no mention of the vulnerable water courses down both sides of these lanes for
much of their length and that these water courses are a vital part of the flood defence system to
allow surface water from the lanes and fields either side to drain away. They do not mention that
the verges are mainly narrow, soft and sloping. That there are major drains at Moor Farm which
regularly cause problems or that there are vulnerable pipes underneath a verge on Road B. From
what has been submitted, Councillors will simply think the route suggested is wide and sufficient for
this project! They will not realise that the lanes are much narrower in parts than described and
unsuitable for 182 trips of heavily laden vehicles to travel including a 40 tonne crane. Please tell
them about this and the considerable damage that will occur to our vulnerable verges, to hidden
pipework and vital water courses. It is not good enough for the developers to simply say they will
repair any damage afterwards …....is it??
VERY IMPORTANT:
Do remember that at the public meeting on 9th October, 100% of villagers made it very clear, they
said NO to the project, they said NO to the proposed route, and said NO to the proposed entry point.
Developers went away saying they would look at other options, they said they would undertake a
vehicle test down the lanes before the application was submitted to test 'suitability' – they even
agreed to advise some members of the public when these tests would take place.
As of 2 Feb there have been no further meetings between developers and Highways Dept. since preplanning stage April 2014 to consider other options. THERE HAS BEEN NO ROAD TEST ! Clearly,
developers just want to gain planning permission FIRST.. then manage the problems, repair the
damage afterwards.
We leave this info with you and hope you will write in and oppose.