Garn Fach Wind Farm Community Liaison Group 6pm, Tuesday 29 June 2021 Via Microsoft Teams MINUTES Attendees - members Name Organisation Angharad Davies (chair) Cadno Communications Ltd Catherine Fairclough Farming families Cllr David Evans Nantmel ward Cllr David Lowde St. Harmon Community Council Cllr James Powell Llanbadarn Fynydd Community Council Cllr Karl Lewis Llandinam ward Cllr Rachel Powell Beguildy ward Cllr David Jones Kerry Community Council Cllr Robin Lewis Mochdre with Penstrowed Community Council Ceri Stephens MWMG Cllr Gwyn Price Llanbadarn Fynydd Community Council Cllr Brian Rees Abbeycwmhir Community Council Simon Morgan EDF R 1. Welcome The chair welcomed members to the meeting. 2. Introductions and apologies Ivor Jones, Kerry CC; Nick Venti, PAVO; Harvey George, Radnor YFC. 3. Pre-application consultation for Garn Fach Wind Farm The Chair explained that the main purpose of the meeting was to explain the pre-application consultation process, provide an update on the project, and next steps. EDF Renewables is launching the formal and statutory pre-application consultation on Wednesday 30th June, for an extended 10- week period, closing on 8th September. Local Councillors (present), MSs and MPs had been given a briefing in advance. An information booklet with a freepost return feedback form was being distributed to over 7,000 households within 10 km of site, and an online exhibition had been prepared. All the statutory documents including the draft Environmental Statement (ES) would be available on the EDF Renewables website. The ES and non-technical summary would be available for view at Llanidloes and Newtown libraries. Booklets had also been sent to shops, post offices and venues in the area. Meetings were arranged with all community councils. A press release is to be issued, and the formal notices will appear in local papers. Simon Morgan provided an update on developments since the March meeting: The number of turbines has been reduced from 22 to 17 as a result of feedback and further assessments. Following the consultation, ending on 8th September, EDF Renewables will prepare the final planning application and hopes to submit this in October 2021. The Planning Inspectorate will take up to five weeks to validate the application and then there will be an examination period. A decision from Welsh Ministers is expected later in 2022. Considerable work has been done on an access strategy on the site – to make the area more accessible and attractive to visitors. This had been done in response to feedback received during the two informal rounds of consultation and from members of the CLG. SM explained that following 1 construction, cyclists would be encouraged to use the on-site tracks as a cycle route. Walkers, riders, and cyclists would be encouraged to site, with a new car park to be in the southern part. A permissive footpath would be created to Fowler’s Arm Chair – making this scheduled monument accessible to visitors – and an information board would be erected. Other permissive footpaths and bridleways were also planned, and all the proposals would be available in the consultation exhibition and statutory documents online. In addition to the planning application, EDF Renewables are also making a Common Land Application as a small part of the site is on common land. The land will need to be de-registered with replacement land (adjoining the common land area in question) being registered. As part of the process, relevant stakeholders had to be statutorily informed, and the relevant community councils and county councillor would be notified. Q. Is EDF Renewables planning any village hall events? Unfortunately, not this time due to public health restrictions. EDF Renewables will attend community council meetings where invited to do so. Whilst it is always desirable to have a physical presence, engagement (numbers of people participating and responding) at the Oct/Nov 2020 informal consultation was much higher than the January 2020 informal consultation which had taken place in village halls. Q. Is there an update on the grid connection? There is no update. The grid offer from National Grid shared at the last consultation (Oct/Nov 2020) still stands. There is no grid route detail in the offer, merely connection points. This information will be shared again at the pre-application consultation. National Grid are reviewing the grid in mid Wales, a process that will conclude at the end of 2022. The application that EDF Renewables is making is for the wind farm only, where the requirement is to demonstrate that a grid connection is possible. The grid application is subject to a separate planning process and is the responsibility of the grid operator. Should other renewables projects be put forward by other developers, then the grid solution currently on the table will be materially changed. 4. Approval of minutes of previous meeting and matters arising 4.1. There were no matters arising. 4.2. RP proposed that the minutes be approved by the group, seconded by DL. The minutes will be translated and published on the Garn Fach website. 5. AOB There was no other business. 6. Date of next meeting The group agreed to meet following the close of the pre-application consultation on 8th September and EDF Renewables can share early feedback from the consultation. A meeting date will be shared with CLG members shortly. 2 .