10-08-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Letter: Wind farms would threaten future of Royal Welsh Show
Following another very successful Royal Welsh Show, I wonder if farmers from all over Wales, and those visiting from the other parts of the UK and the rest of the world, realise the immense threat that exists concerning the future of this world-famous show?
Do they know that there are plans to surround Builth Wells with no fewer than four gigantic wind farms, all very close to the town and to the Llanelwedd show site?
Going from north to south: there will be 31 x up to 730 ft high at Nant Mithil Wind Farm, overlooking the important tourist town of Llandrindod Wells and nine miles north of Builth; 16 x 720 ft high at Bryn Gilwern (again by Bute Energy) 4.5 miles north of Builth; 18 x 650 ft high, at Aberedw, just three miles east of Builth and Llanelwedd show site; and 27 x 660ft high, plus solar panels, plus battery storage units, all by Wind2 Ltd, at Banc y Celyn 4 miles south of Builth. That's 92 absolute monstrosities - the biggest on-land in the world! Ridiculous!
So the gigantic wind farms are closing in on Builth Wells from all the surrounding hills, rather reminiscent of the Zulus closing in from all directions on the Welsh soldiers at the Battle of Rorke's Drift in South Africa's Zulu Wars!
The trouble is the 'thumping' and 'whooshing' of the gigantic wind turbines will be infinitely louder than the rhythmic drum and shield-beating of the Zulus at Rorke's Drift and unlike the Zulus, Bute Energy will not go away and leave the scene.
Builth Wells will be stuck with Bute Energy for at least 25 years.
Even if Bute goes bust or they sell out to a secretive offshore company in a tax haven, the wind turbines will remain, possibly rusting and useless, like those at static Hendy Wind Farm above Builth.
All this can be seen on the map on the Re-Think Wales website. Why aren't Re-Think issuing regular press releases or even writing letters to your excellent influential journal?
The Royal Welsh Show at Llanelwedd could be in very big trouble.
Has anyone considered how upsetting the loud noises and inaudible infra-sound (to us) from these revolving monsters will have on the fine pedigree animals of one of the premier agricultural shows of Europe? Could they suffer great stress? What is the opinion of the RSPCA , I wonder? Has anyone bothered to ask?
