Coed Bach

Briefing note to Councillors No.9

Investment in Tourism 

 As we continue to look at the potential impact that siting a power station in the mouth of the Gwendraeth Valley at Coedbach we are becoming more concerned than ever about the negative impact that this will have upon our local area and economy.

 

Carmarthenshire County Council and private developers have invested £10’s millions in regeneration of the local area to change an industrial environment with one where tourism and recreation is now the focal point eg Pembrey Country Park, Cefon Siden Beach, Pembrey Airport, Ffos Las.

 

We now have direct evidence that a power station at Coedbach is in conflict with tourism and will reduce investment (and jobs) in the local area.

 

Please find a letter from Mrs Howell from Bridgend that we found in the Coedbach file in the planning Department (she has given us permission to share this with you).

 

Because of the Coedbach application and the Council’s June 2008 recommendation for approval she has pulled out of a planned purchase and investment in Carmarthen Bay in September 2008.

 

In the current economy we should be encouraging inward investment into the area not driving people away.

 

We urge you to say NO to S/16781 Coedbach power station.

 

This Briefing Note has been produced for and on behalf of the Coedbach Action Group who are representing the 1000s of concerned individuals who want you to Say NO to Coedbach Power Station – Planning Application S/16781.

 

 ____________________________

 


 

BRIDGEND

23rd September 2008 

 

Mr .Eifion Bowen

Head of Planning

Carmarthenshire County Council

40 Spillman Street

Carmarthen

SA31 1LZ 

 

 

Dear Mr.Bowen,

 

RE:  BIO-MASS POWER STATION AT THE FORMER COEDBACH

        WASHERY SITE, KIDWELLY.

        PLANNING APPLICATION: S/16781

 

 

My family and I saw a programme detailing the above and also found on the internet that a recommendation has already been made by you to approve the above project.  If that is the case and the Bio-Mass Power Station is located in the Gwendraeth Valley then all tourism will cease.

 

I and my family enjoyed a holiday recently in Kidwelly, Carmarthen Bay, and wanted to go back there as the air was so fresh and the countryside was beautiful.  We were about to purchase a chalet/caravan in the tourist area in Kidwelly.  However since hearing about the above we have written to the solicitors withdrawing our offer.

 

We are extremely disappointed that the Council are even entertaining a Bio-Mass Power Station in the beautiful tourist area which will now be turned into a vast chimney spewing out smoke over a vast area which will kill any tourism in that area not to mention ruining the health of the people who live there.

 

My family and I would not want to visit the area which includes Pendray, Kidwelly, Carmarthen Bay, Pendine, lidstep, Tenby – all downwind from the vast Bio-Mass chimney.

 

Since hearing this news we want nothing to do with that area and we are so glad that we found out now before we handed any money over.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

K.P. Howell

 

 

Photograph of Gwendraeth Valley mid-February

 

add text, images, video, widgets, etc...

Briefing Note No.10

 The picture above is taken looking across the Gwendraeth Valley between Pembrey and Kidwelly.  You can see the layer of mist and cloud in the valley floor.  These quiet air conditions occur 40-50 days per annum in the valley, eg whenever we have high pressure weather pattern over the country.

 

Now imagine adding the pollution emissions from the proposed power station at 1 tonne per minute, 24 hours per day and you have a harmful cocktail of gasses and pollutants which are trapped in the valley.  We believe that this poses a serious health risk to local residents in Kidwelly, Trimsaran, Pembrey and Burry Port.

 

Has this been identified in the Human health Impact Assessment?  NO.

 

Why not?  This is because the developer used weather data from Swansea 26km away and annual averages instead of the daily weather data which is available from Pembrey weather station.

 

How would you feel about breathing in noxious smog of the kind that we believe is going to occur in the Gwendraeth Valley if the power station is approved?

 

We ask you to say NO to S/16781 Coedbach power station.