Following on from the positive decision about the Rushwall Solar development in June, we applaud the Minister Julie James' decision, announced in July, to turn down the massive Wentloog solar farm on the Gwent Levels Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI.). If built, this development would have been about twice the size of the largest constructed solar farm in Wales. 

Gwent Wildlife Trust's Planning Manager, Mike Webb has been leading on our advocacy work to protect the historic and vitally important landscape and wildlife of the Gwent Levels. He said,

"Gwent Wildlife Trust oppose all development proposals on protected Sites of Special Scientific Interest as they are the jewels in the crown of Gwent’s and Wales’ wildlife heritage.  Whilst we support renewable energy, we believe it must be the right development in the right place. There are tens of thousands of acres of land throughout Wales which are much more suited to solar farms than SSSIs. 

We hope that the decisions on Rushwall and Wentloog mark a turning point in the protection of the Gwent Levels’ wildlife and ancient landscape, and that decisions in respect of the tsunami of development proposals already in the planning system go the same way.  

The Welsh planning system in its current form does not seem to be able to adequately protect SSSIs from development, even though they constitute only approximately 12% of the land and coastal area of Wales, and most of that couldn’t be built on, for other reasons. The fact that developers evidently feel that they have a good chance of success if they target the Gwent Levels SSSI says to us that our planning system is not working as it should. Fundamental changes are needed to ensure that we do not keep facing these major threats to this fragile, complex and beautiful wetland SSSI.”