Mynydd Maen Action Group Update – August 2025

August 2025

The striking outline of Mynydd Maen, complete with Twmbarlwm hillfort, on the horizon is the first sight of Wales for visitors crossing the Severn Bridge. Up close, Mynydd Maen is a peat moor and heathland area beloved by locals and visitors alike for health and recreation.  Our mountain is currently threatened by multiple onshore wind developments – we can’t bear to call them farms – they are industrial complexes.

Here is the proposed view from our local hill fort, Twmbarlwm, if all proposed developments are approved.

Since we reported last month, local residents, have received leaflets advising that an additional development, Rhyswg, will be submitting plans later in 2025.

We have also just heard that an additional adjacent development at Llanhilleth has just been re-submitted, having been previously withdrawn.

We now have five live proposals surrounding our beautiful mountain:

• Mynydd Maen by RES (13 x 150m turbines) – paused until end September 2025
• Trecelyn by Pennant Walters (4 x 145m turbines) – paused until 1^st September 2025
• Rhyswg by Pennant Walters (4 x 180m turbines) – initial communication received
• Llanhilleth by Pennant Walters (7 x 180m turbines) – live statutory consultation ends 1^st September 2025
• Cil-lonydd by Cenin (92 acre solar) – paused until 6^th August 2025

One of our major challenges is to not exhaust the goodwill of our local communities. Although the developments will link together, they are being submitted as multiple applications. Frequently, confused local people have trouble keeping track of the multiple applications in our immediate area. We regularly hear ‘Well, I’ve objected 3 times already – you want me to object again?!’ . This approach is certainly exhausting.

We have also noticed that the developers have launched their statutory consultations to coincide with holiday periods. Cil-lonydd and Trecelyn were launched concurrently over Christmas 2024, Mynydd Maen was launched over the Easter and later Bank Holidays in April 2025. And now Llanhilleth has arrived at the start of the summer holiday period, 2025.

Our small band of volunteers continue our objections. However, as you can imagine, it is extremely hard work trying to keep track of this onslaught of multiple applications, particularly when many people are away.