News

Powys: £64m wind farm shelved by Scottish Power

Published

11 years ago

December 29, 2014

Tom Sinclair

Protests: Locals did not want windfarm

CONTROVERSIAL plans for a multi-million pound wind farm have been scrapped by a power company in a move welcomed by anti-turbine campaigners.

Scottish Power are ditching proposals for a £64m wind farm at Dyfnant Forest, at Lake Vyrnwy, Powys, after working on the proposals for six years.

Company chiefs said the reasons were the length of time for the planning process and a need to modernise the grid, for pulling the plug on the project to build 35 600ft wind turbines there.

Scottish Power had carried out a range of detailed technical and environmental studies at the site before today’s announcement.

The company had said the scheme would have provided power for up to 65,000 homes.

Campaigners had protested against the plans with concerns over the damage to tourism.

Simon Christian, UK Managing Director of Scottish Power, told The Pembrokeshire Herald: “Unfortunately, with anticipated lengthy planning processes and major grid modernisation required, we are not confident the project can be delivered in a time frame that would make it financially viable for us.

“We are currently seeking to replace our turbines at Llandinam in Mid Wales, and we await a planning decision following a lengthy Public Inquiry. We have decided to focus our onshore wind efforts in Wales on this project.

“We have been an active wind power developer in Wales since 1992, and we hope that our association with renewable energy in the country will continue for many years to come.

“We would like to thank all of the residents, groups and interested parties who have been involved in the consultations during development of Dyfnant.”

Concerns had been raised by residents it could have harmed the horse-riding tourism there, where there was a network of trails.

Scottish Power had said the development of 35 turbines of up to 185m – costing around £2m per turbine – would have a generating capacity of up to 120 megawatts (MW).

Glyn Davies, Conservative MP for Montgomeryshire, has welcomed Scottish Power Renewables’ decision.

He said: “It is a wonderful Christmas present for the people who live near Lake Vyrnwy and who share my love for the wider Dyfnant Forest area. Scottish Power Renewables’ plans were in my opinion ecologically and environmentally disastrous for a beautiful part of mid-Wales.”

Charity

Christmas jumper fundraiser raises £360 for youth counselling

Published

2 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A CHRISTMAS Jumper Day fundraiser held by staff at W.B. Griffiths & Son Ltd has raised £360 for the Megan’s Starr Foundation, helping fund vital mental health support for young people.

The money, presented to the charity by Carla and Liam, will pay for 10 professional counselling sessions for young people who are struggling and in urgent need of support.

The Megan’s Starr Foundation said the sessions provide a safe space for young people to talk, be listened to, and feel supported at a time when it matters most.

In a statement, the charity thanked the firm and its staff for getting involved, adding that access to timely support can be life changing and can help young people realise they are not alone.

The foundation said it was grateful to everyone at W.B. Griffiths & Son Ltd who took part, describing the donation as one that will have a real and lasting impact on local young people and their mental health.

News

Investigation launched after man found dead near Carmarthen railway line

Published

2 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Tom Sinclair

POLICE are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man whose body was found in a field close to the railway track near Carmarthen railway station.

Emergency services were called to the area at just after 8:30am on Saturday (Jan 10). Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police attended alongside paramedics from the Welsh Ambulance Service.

Witnesses reported seeing police and ambulance vehicles outside the station’s main entrance, with officers also in an adjacent field near a railway bridge.

Dyfed-Powys Police said the man’s next of kin have been informed and are being supported by officers.

A police spokesperson said enquiries are ongoing and the death is currently being treated as unexplained.

No further details, including the man’s age or identity, have been released.

Crime

Former Gwent detective would have been sacked after off duty assault conviction

Published

3 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

Ex officer found guilty of gross misconduct following Devon incident and magistrates court conviction

A FORMER Gwent Police detective sergeant has been found guilty of gross misconduct after being convicted of assaulting a man while off duty in Devon.

Joanne Marston resigned from the force shortly before an accelerated misconduct hearing was due to begin at Cwmbran on Monday. The panel went ahead in her absence.

The hearing was told the incident happened in February 2024 while Marston was off duty in Devon. She was later arrested and charged with common assault, and was convicted at Exeter Magistrates’ Court in March last year.

A professional standards investigation concluded she had breached the police standards of professional behaviour relating to discreditable conduct. The panel upheld the allegation and found it amounted to gross misconduct.

Had she remained a serving officer, the panel ruled she would have been dismissed without notice.

Assistant Chief Constable Vicki Townsend, who chaired the hearing, said the former officer’s actions were “shocking and unacceptable” and warned that such behaviour damages public confidence in policing.

Marston will now be placed on the College of Policing barred list, preventing her from serving with any police force in the UK.