Campaigners demand landscape protection and underground cables while environmentalists warn Wales cannot slow the clean energy transition

A PROTEST took place outside Senedd Cymru on Wednesday (Feb 11) as campaigners gathered to oppose large-scale wind farms, energy parks and new overhead pylons across rural Wales.

Residents from mid and west Wales, including farming families, countryside groups and community activists, assembled on the steps of the Welsh Parliament holding banners reading “Hands off Mid Wales”, “Rural life matters” and “Protect Welsh bogs”.

Many said they support renewable energy in principle but fear that current proposals would industrialise rural landscapes while delivering little benefit to local people.

Among those addressing the crowd was Jane Dodds, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, who renewed calls for ministers to require electricity cables to be placed underground rather than carried on new lines of pylons.

Calls for underground cables

Dodds said Wales must not lose its countryside in the rush to decarbonise.

“We cannot afford to lose our countryside,” she told protesters. “Once these wind turbines and pylons are in place, the impact on our landscapes will be long lasting and, in many cases, irreversible.

“Local people feel their concerns are being overlooked while large developers push ahead with major projects. That is not how the transition to green energy should work.”

She pointed to a recent budget agreement which secured £1 million for a Visual Impact Innovation Fund to trial undergrounding technologies and explore alternatives to overhead infrastructure in sensitive areas.

“We need a balanced approach,” she said. “We must move away from fossil fuels, but we must also protect the beauty and character of rural Wales.”

Why people are protesting

Speakers and attendees raised concerns about:

• visual impact of turbines and pylons on open countryside
• effects on peatland, wildlife and habitats
• loss of productive farmland
• heavy construction traffic through small villages
• profits flowing to distant shareholders rather than host communities

Several campaigners argued that decisions feel “done to” communities rather than shaped with them, with limited consultation and little long-term return.

Some called for smaller-scale, locally owned schemes instead of what they described as “mega-projects”.

Climate groups defend renewables

In response to the protest, Climate Cymru said Wales must not step back from wind power and other renewables, warning that continued reliance on fossil fuels would worsen both the climate and cost-of-living crises.

Stan Townsend, spokesperson for the group, said: “Rising energy bills and energy insecurity are already affecting families, farmers and businesses across the country.

“Turning away from renewables would mean deeper dependence on volatile, expensive, polluting fossil fuels. We need clean, home-grown energy to protect people and the planet.”

He said Wales has some of the best wind resources in Europe and a major opportunity to cut bills, create skilled jobs and strengthen energy security.

Community ownership ‘key to support’

Community Energy Wales said many objections could be eased if local people had ownership or a financial stake in developments.

Leanne Wood, co-executive director, said: “If communities can part own developments, many of the objections to new wind turbines can be overcome. Ownership brings control.

“This would lock the profits into those communities and potentially reduce bills.”

The organisation is working to enable locally generated renewable electricity to be sold directly to local consumers so that wealth stays within towns and villages.

A wider debate

The demonstration highlights a growing divide over how Wales meets its net zero targets.

While environmental groups stress the urgent need to expand renewable energy quickly, rural campaigners say the Wales-wide push must not come at the expense of landscapes, farming and community consent.

Dodds urged the Welsh Government to strengthen planning, consultation and benefit schemes so that communities see clear advantages.

For many at the Senedd, the message was clear: renewable energy is necessary — but only if local people share the control, the profits and the decisions.

A NEW alliance bringing together community groups, trade unions, faith leaders and campaigners from across west Wales is set to launch in Haverfordwest next month.

The West Wales branch of the Together Alliance will officially begin with a public meeting at 7:00pm on Wednesday (Mar 18) at Haverfordwest Mosque, Cherry Grove.

Organisers say the event will unite local politicians, farmers, artists, anti-racist organisations and faith groups in response to what they describe as growing “voices of division” in national and local politics.

In a statement, the alliance said: “Those who preach division are becoming more confident. Their false promises seize on very real economic problems and scapegoat migrants, Muslims and refugees.

“But we can change things together. The voices of unity can grow stronger. Strength lies in solidarity and working together for hope, not despair.”

The group aims to build cooperation between communities and challenge racism and extremism through grassroots organising. It says hundreds of organisations and individuals nationwide have already signed up.

The Haverfordwest launch forms part of a wider mobilisation ahead of a major national demonstration planned for London on March 28.

Several high-profile supporters have also backed the campaign, including comedian and campaigner Lenny Henry, who said: “We stand for love over hate, hope over fear and unity over division. We’re coming together against racism.”

Singer Paloma Faith added: “There is no world that I want to live in where discrimination is acceptable for anything.”

Organisers say anyone interested in promoting inclusion, equality and community solidarity is welcome to attend.

Davies attacks ‘Nation of Sanctuary’ policy after asylum seeker jailed for child rape

A SENIOR Welsh Conservative has called for the Welsh Government’s “Nation of Sanctuary” policy to be scrapped after an Afghan asylum seeker was convicted of abducting and raping a 12-year-old girl.

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, said the case highlighted what he described as the “dangers” of the current approach to asylum and migration in Wales.

Ahmad Mulakhil, who arrived in the UK by small boat from France in March 2025, was convicted of the attack just four months later.

The case, reported nationally this week, has prompted renewed political debate over the Welsh Government’s stance on supporting asylum seekers and refugees.

Mr Davies said: “This appalling case demonstrates the dangers of importing violent criminals into Britain.

“Plaid Cymru and Labour’s decision to make Wales a Nation of Sanctuary for asylum seekers is a pull factor, encouraging more people to enter our country illegally.

“I reiterate my calls for this dangerous policy to be scrapped.”

The comments directly target the Welsh Government’s “Nation of Sanctuary” plan, launched in 2019, which aims to make Wales a welcoming place for refugees and people seeking asylum, with support for housing, education and integration.

The Welsh Government has previously defended the policy, saying it reflects “Welsh values of compassion and fairness,” and stressing that responsibility for border security lies with the UK Government.

Meanwhile, the UK Government has introduced tougher measures aimed at reducing small-boat crossings and speeding up removals of those with no right to remain.

The latest case is likely to intensify scrutiny of how asylum accommodation and safeguarding are managed across Wales.

For many residents, the debate now centres on how to balance humanitarian support with public safety and confidence in the system.

As Mr Davies’ intervention shows, the political argument over Wales’s role as a “Nation of Sanctuary” is far from over.

Meanwhile the official figures show that asylum seekers commit less crime than the general population.