Powys Green Guide

Response received from Jeremy Davies, Gwlad candidate for Gwynedd Maldwyn.

1. Wind farms

Last year, the UK paid £1.5 billion to curtail wind generation, and that figure could rise to as much as £8 billion by 2030. While wind power has an important role to play in Wales, I believe we must stop the industrialisation of our countryside by large corporate operators who are exploiting current subsidies and damaging our landscapes and biodiversity with giant turbines and their huge concrete bases.

A new subsea network could be laid from Connah’s Quay to Wylfa and then down to Pembroke to strengthen our national grid infrastructure. Floating wind farms should be located offshore, where they have less impact on the environment and where the energy produced can be used for the benefit of Wales. The associated marine engineering and maintenance work would provide a welcome boost to the Welsh economy.

Gwlad does not oppose small community wind projects, or turbines needed on farms, but these must receive proper planning permission to ensure they are fair to local communities and sensitive to landscape, biodiversity, and heritage.

Wherever there are large industrial wind farms, transmission pylons will also be required. Unfortunately, the cost of undergrounding them will rarely be justified, given the expense and geological difficulties involved. Decisions about the National Grid are controlled in Westminster, and the Senedd has no direct say. If people do not want pylons, then they must say ‘NO’ to large-scale onshore wind farms.

As for where electricity for the whole UK should come from, the answer should be a balanced mix of offshore wind, tidal power, solar on roof tops and new nuclear SMRs, which are recognised by many green parties in Europe as a sustainable way forward.

2. Localising energy

Yes, communities should absolutely have a stake in local energy generation and infrastructure. They should not simply be asked for their consent after decisions have effectively been made but partners from the start.

If a community decides to host a local energy project, then that community should benefit directly from them, not just absorb the impacts.

That should mean clearer community ownership models, shared revenue, reduced local energy costs, and a requirement that a significant share of contracts, maintenance, and jobs are kept local where possible. I would also like to see planning and licensing rules that make it easier for town and community councils, cooperatives, and local trusts to invest in or co-own projects.

3. Rural transport

We need public support for rural transport infrastructure, better planning so that people are not forced to travel long distances for basic services, and policies that help rural households reduce fuel costs without losing freedom.

In Powys, the car will remain necessary for many people, but that does not mean we should accept the current lack of alternatives.

Rural transport needs a practical, affordable solution and a good first step would be to make sure bus and train services are properly co-ordinated so that people can actually rely on them.

We need to improve rail connections between north and south Wales, and there are already ideas on our website showing how this could be done by focusing on a route that links the more populated towns in Powys.

Just like the Puffin in Pembrokeshire and the Sherpa routes in Eryri, we want more rural public transport that works for local people as well as visitors, so they can leave the car behind and explore more easily.

Our tourist tax of £2 per adult over 18, per night, would be ring-fenced for transport improvements. Visitors staying three nights or more would also receive a free local transport voucher.

4. Support for local green businesses

If we want young people to stay in Wales, we need real career opportunities, not just seasonal or low-paid work. There are opportunities but we should not be misled by the large corporations. For every £1 spent in a local coffee shop 80p stays locally. For every £1 spent in a chain store 80p leaves the area.

We would support stronger procurement rules so that public bodies buy more from local firms and farms where possible, particularly for food, maintenance, construction, care, and sustainability projects. We would also like to see targeted support for small and medium-sized businesses that create decent local jobs, especially for young people. That includes business advice, starter grants, premises support, and easier access to finance.

Online shopping is not going away, but local businesses can still compete if the playing field is fair. We should encourage local branding, local food networks and stronger “buy local” campaigns. ‘Keep the money circulating in Wales’.

5. Land use

Our view is that the first principle must be that agricultural land should prioritised for food production. Alongside that, poor land, marginal land, and land with low productivity may be considered for biodiversity recovery, habitat creation and tree planting where appropriate. Land use should be based on suitability, not on blanket targets.

We would like to see more support for farmers with improved consultation to create a proper framework for Wales to replace the existing SFS scheme. That framework should protect farming as a productive economic activity while also recognising that nature recovery is essential.

We also wish to add a short note on a practical farming issue that illustrates the tension between environmental regulations and disease control – one that affects many Powys farmers.

Farmers Caught Between TB regulations and Slurry Rules

Here’s the double bind in simple terms:

1. Bovine TB makes slurry dangerous as the bacteria can survive in cow dung and slurry for up to six months. Official advice: store it that long before spreading, to kill the bugs and protect herds/wildlife.
2. Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ) rules force a tight calendar. NVZs ban spreading mid-October to mid-January, therefore farms must empty stores in just 4-6 weeks beforehand – or face £2,000 fines.

The clash? Chaos.

• Store 6 months for TB safety? Tanks overflow in wet weather.
• Spread for NVZ compliance? Risk spreading live TB.
• One rainy week = emergency spreading of risky slurry, disease outbreaks, nitrate runoff, and stress.

Farmers call it "farming by calendar" – rigid dates creating more problems.

Gwlad recommends more flexible rules. Let farmers spread when weather AND disease risk allow, not Brussels-style dates. This protects rivers, herds, and farmers – practical environmentalism, not ideology.

I hope this example shows Gwlad's commitment to real-world solutions for Powys farmers facing climate, nature, and economic pressures.

6. Water quality

There is a great deal of concern about the condition of our rivers, bathing waters and the effect pollution is having on our ecosystems.

We receive more rainfall in Wales than many parts of the UK and therefore the strongest argument is public safety:

Spill counts alone do not tell people whether the water is dangerous, because pathogens are what create the immediate health risk. So the policy goal should be not just “how much spilled,” but “what contamination is present, how quickly it can be measured, and how the public is warned.” That makes it easier to justify investment in infrastructure, testing facilities and a legal duty to disclose danger levels.

We need better monitoring, greater transparency, and more reporting so that people can see what is happening in their local rivers.

Welsh Water must sample storm overflow discharges at designated high-risk sites after every spill, or within a fixed period after spill events and must commission testing laboratories or accredited testing capacity for pathogens and relevant indicator organisms to be identified quickly.

Natural Resources Wales must publish risk categories or public advisories where results exceed defined thresholds and priority must be given to bathing waters, estuaries, rivers with high recreation use, and locations near vulnerable users.

To maintain improvement, we need a joined-up approach: better sewage infrastructure and, as mentioned previously on land use, an improved system to manage slurry and nutrient runoff. This is not just about nature, but about swimming, fishing, tourism, and the quality of life of communities across Wales.

Short response received from Aled Davies.

Thank you for your email. As a County Councillor for Llanrhaeadr ym Mochnant and Llansilin, I am very aware of the challenges we face.

I would be happy to discuss these issues further at a later time. For now, I would refer you to the Welsh Conservatives’ manifesto, which is available online.

Diolch