COMMUNITY groups from across Wales have united behind a new Charter calling for a fundamental overhaul of how renewable energy developments are planned and approved.

The Charter for a Just Transition to Net Zero has been launched by an alliance of grassroots and environmental organisations who say current planning arrangements favour large-scale energy developers at the expense of local communities.

Campaigners argue that residents affected by wind farms, energy parks and grid infrastructure are being left without adequate information, influence or access to independent advice, while developments are approved piecemeal without proper consideration of cumulative impacts.

The groups say the planning system is failing to give communities a meaningful voice, despite the long-term consequences for landscapes, heritage and wellbeing.

Dr Jonathan Dean, spokesman for the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW), said Wales must address climate change without sidelining rural communities.

“Wales must tackle climate change, but not by excluding the very communities who live in and care for these landscapes,” he said. “This Charter sets out a credible and democratic path forward, and we are urging all political parties to adopt its principles ahead of the 2026 Senedd election.”

Concerns raised in the Charter include a lack of transparency around proposed schemes, limited opportunities for early engagement, and the growing pressure on communities facing multiple overlapping energy developments.

Jenny Chryss, campaign lead at ReThink, said communities across Wales were being overwhelmed by the scale and pace of proposals.

“Right now, Wales is seeing multiple energy schemes coming forward with little regard for cumulative impacts, environmental damage or community wellbeing,” she said. “This Charter is about the basics: honesty, accountability and decisions that put people first.”

The Charter calls for a series of reforms, including early and clear disclosure of proposed developments, direct engagement with affected communities, and fair access to independent legal and technical advice.

It also calls for a pause on new approvals until cumulative impacts are properly assessed, alongside stronger protections for landscapes, heritage and public wellbeing.

Supporters say Wales can meet its climate targets while maintaining democratic accountability and public trust, warning that failing to do so risks undermining confidence in the transition to Net Zero.

The Charter has been backed by community and environmental groups from across the country, including organisations representing areas facing significant pressure from large-scale renewable energy proposals.

CPRW, founded in 1928, said the document offers a practical route to delivering climate action without sacrificing rural communities or public confidence in the planning system.

Tributes paid to Hayscastle volunteer as concerns grow over safety of life-saving riders

A DEDICATED blood bike rider described as a “quiet hero” has died following a serious road traffic collision on the A48 near Llanddarog, renewing concern about the risks faced by the volunteers who deliver life-saving medical supplies across Wales.

Andrew Rogers, aged 61, from Hayscastle, died in hospital on Thursday (Jan 1) after being involved in a collision on the westbound A48 just before 6:00pm on Monday (Dec 29).

Mr Rogers was volunteering as a blood bike rider at the time — transporting urgent medical supplies — a role his family say he was deeply passionate about.

In a tribute, they said Andrew’s life was defined by service, faith and community.
“Andrew was volunteering as a blood bike rider at the time, something he was deeply passionate about. Helping people and volunteering as a street pastor for many years, Andrew had a strong Christian faith, with his life guided by his Lord Jesus.

“Andrew was a farmer his whole life and it was his passion. He was well known, loved, and respected within the farming community and extremely knowledgeable — knowledge he passed down to his children and grandchildren over the years.”

He will be remembered by his wife Tricia, daughter Julie, son Nathan and his partner Penny, his mother Hilda, brother and sister-in-law Colin and Myra, grandchildren Cerys, Iwan and Myfanwy, nieces and nephews Megan, Kiki and Dominic, and a wide circle of friends. The family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.

Another life recently lost in Pembrokeshire

Mr Rogers’ death follows a similar tragedy in Pembrokeshire in July 2025 when 78-year-old volunteer Timothy Minett was killed while on duty for Blood Bikes Wales. 

Mr Minett died instantly on the evening of Wednesday 2 July 2025 when the motorcycle he was riding was involved in a collision with a van on the A478 between Glandy Cross and Blaenffos. 

Known affectionately as a dedicated and experienced volunteer, Tim was widely respected within the blood bike community for his commitment to supporting NHS services. Tributes paid at the time described his death as a stark reminder of the risks faced by blood bike riders who give their time freely to help others. 

The role and risks of blood bike volunteers

Blood bike riders are all volunteers who transport urgent blood, plasma, donor breast milk, test samples and medical equipment between hospitals and health facilities — often outside normal courier hours and in challenging conditions. 

While their work is rarely in the spotlight, clinicians have often described blood bike services as life-saving, ensuring that critical supplies reach patients when minutes matter. However, riding at speed on rural and major roads exposes volunteers to the same hazards as other road users, a reality highlighted by the deaths of both Mr Rogers and Mr Minett.

Police appeal continues

Dyfed-Powys Police say enquiries into the A48 collision that claimed Mr Rogers’ life are ongoing.

Officers are appealing for anyone who was travelling westbound on the A48 near Llanddarog just before 6:00pm on Monday (Dec 29) and may have seen or recorded footage of the incident to come forward.

Information can be given by calling 101, alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A legacy of service

For those who knew him, Andrew Rogers will be remembered not only for his work on the road but for a lifetime spent helping others — as a farmer, a street pastor and a man of faith.

As tributes continue to pour in across the community, his death — and the earlier loss of Tim Minett — stands as a sobering reminder of the personal risks taken by volunteers who quietly give their time to save and support lives.

A CALL for Pembrokeshire County Council to join other west Wales authorities in calling for its pension funds to be divested from companies profiting from genocide is to be heard by councillors.

Recently, a call for Ceredigion County Council to stress it does not wish to be involved in companies connected with Israel during the ongoing Gaza crisis through its pension fund was backed by councillors.

A notice of motion before Ceredigion County Council’s meeting of October 23, proposed by Cllr Endaf Edwards, said: “The ongoing and deeply concerning conflict in Gaza has led to significant loss of innocent life and widespread humanitarian suffering.

“Despite a temporary ceasefire in January 2025, hostilities have resumed, and conditions on the ground continue to deteriorate.”

It asked five points: a commitment to ethical governance and global justice; to express it does not wish to be associated with companies potentially complicit in war crimes or human rights violations; to write to the Welsh Pension Partnership, conveying these concerns and requesting a review of current investments; to request that the Dyfed Pension Fund and Welsh Pension Partnership strengthen their ethical investment policies; and to call on the Dyfed Pension Fund Committee and Welsh Pension Partnership to regularly review and publicly report on progress toward divestment from unethical holdings.

Following that, a petition was submitted on Pembrokeshire County Council’s own website, making a similar call.

The Pembrokeshire petition, started by Sarah Davies of Solidarity with Palestine Pembrokeshire, reads: “We call upon Pembrokeshire County Council to pass a resolution calling on Dyfed Pension Fund to divest our pension money from companies profiting from genocide.

“As residents of Pembrokeshire, we are deeply concerned that the Dyfed Pension Fund (DPF) invests millions of pension fund money in companies complicit in Israel’s genocide, occupation, and apartheid against Palestinians. In addition, DPF uses the multinational asset management firm BlackRock to manage 40 per cent (£1.4 billion) of its total assets. BlackRock has been cited in a recent UN report as profiting from genocide.
“Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and other Welsh councils have already committed to divestment. We call upon Pembrokeshire County Council to use its influence to urge Dyfed Pension Fund to divest from these companies.”

If a petition gets 500 signatures, the creator will have an opportunity to debate it at a future full council meeting; more than 100 will trigger a debate at a council overview and scrutiny committee.