Solar Developed on Ynys Môn / Anglesey

Members from CPRW Ynys Môn Branch were on hand to add support to a campaign about the way solar is being developed on Ynys Môn/Anglesey by Rhun ap Iorwerth MS and Llinos Medi MP

There are already a number of small solar schemes on the island, with the largest currently being the Porth Wen Solar development which is a 50 MW solar farm over 200 acres in the north of the island outside Cemaes

However, there are two new proposals which are significantly larger, and would occupy 2% of the island:

Alaw Môn to the SE of Llyn Alaw near Llanerchymedd which is 160 MW over nearly 700 acres of “best and most versatile” land.  This has recently submitted a planning application to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) and the public are able to register as Interested Parties and submit a Written Representation with their views on the proposal

Maen Hir would be 360 MW over 3,000 acres from the Porth Wen site to Capel Coch taking in Rhosgoch, Rhosybol and Llanerchymedd.  This is so large it would generate enough electricity in a year to provide three times the current Anglesey consumption.  It will be examined by the Planning Inspectorate under the Planning Act 2008 with the decision being made by the Secretary of State, Ed Miliband.  The statutory consultation will commence soon in advance of a planning application being submitted

Rhun ap Iorwerth has long argued that solar should be developed as many small sites, dispersed across a great many farms, so that no single location dominates the landscape and multiple landowners can participate.  This is actually the way the National Energy Systems Operator (NESO) is recommending solar be developed, as it makes best use of the local distribution grid

Trustee Dr Jonathan Dean explained that as Wales can easily exceed the 2050 net zero electricity demand from only offshore wind, land based generation such as solar is not needed “to keep the lights on” so should be developed in ways that local communities find acceptable, minimise impacts in the environment and landscape, and deliver benefits to those communities

There was much emotion in the meeting with concerns being raised over a wide range of reasons, including:  impact on the landscape effecting the tourism industry, loss of productive farmland effecting agricultural employment, spillages from construction machinery entering Llyn Alaw, the main source of drinking water, “glint and glare” effecting residential amenity and consequently property value, impact on wildlife, particularly migrating water fowl colliding with panels having mistaken them for lakes and even inefficient use of the transmission grid

Key dates and actions for these proposals are:

Alaw Môn – you can register as an Interested Party with PEDW up until October 16.  Details of the project are here:

Maen Hir – the statutory consultation runs from October 2nd to November  5th.  Details are available here: