Renewable Energy
Offshore wind - Current CPRW policy

Introduction
Wales is defined on three sides by the sea which has played a major part in the history of the country. 70% of our coastline is designated because of its landscape or nature conservation value and we have the only predominantly coastal National Park in the UK.

Whilst much is written about the beauty of the Welsh landscape, it is often forgotten that the coast and marine areas are important resources in their own right and provide a crucial context for appreciating the land. The sea is visible from most of the Welsh uplands and provides a valuable part of the experience of hill walking and the enjoyment of the countryside. What happens on the sea, happens on the land as well - the two are inter-related.

CPRW recognises that offshore wind power as well as other marine technologies are fast developing and believes that the contribution they can make in meeting Wales renewable targets is significant so long as they are deployed in an environmentally sensitive manner.

CPRW therefore expects the deployment of offshore wind turbines to become an acceptable way of contributing significant amounts of renewable energy to the UK government's 2010 target. That being the case when assessing the acceptability of any off shore wind power scheme, CPRW will

Policy OFF1
Normally support proposals that do not:

• cause significant detriment to landscape or seascape quality and their amenity as experienced from land, or across in-shore water and estuaries;
• adversely affect the natural beauty of an estuary or its setting;
• pose a significantly detrimental threat to the recognised characteristics of sites designated for their scientific or wildlife importance.

Policy OFF2
CPRW will not support proposals that would seriously affect the quality of views of and from, or the quality of the visitor experience within - a National Park, AONB or Heritage Coast, and will consider doing so when similar interests are threatened elsewhere, in line with the exceptions stated in Policy 1.

In order to minimise the impacts of transmission infrastructure at the coast, and of turbine development on the visual qualities of coastal countryside and related seascape, CPRW expects

Policy OFF3
To minimise the impact of offshore wind projects on the landscapes and adjoining seascapes, schemes should be deployed in large concentrations, at significant distances away from the coast, and under suitable arrangements which enable joint landfalls to be provided in an unobtrusive manner.

Policy OFF4
CPRW urges the National Assembly to assert its own role in the decision making process in consultation with CCW and local planning authorities, and to examine the possibility of requiring applicants to use the Transport and Works Act procedure when submitting proposals.

CPRW will continue to campaign for

• Integrated mechanisms to ensure that offshore and any associated onshore infrastructure developments are assessed as a whole and not separately,
• Transparent procedures to assess and determine proposals for offshore wind turbines (including the issue of any licences under the Food and Environmental Protection Act (FEPA) or use of other mechanisms) which would allow CPRW and other Non-Governmental Organisations the opportunity to comment on submissions and to influence the decision making process.

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