Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:13 pm on 1 October 2019.
Thank you for your answer, Minister. I am someone who also believes that we do need to invest in renewable technologies, and we also need to have a mixed basket of forms of renewable energy solutions.
I was disappointed that the consultation on the national development framework was published during the Assembly recess. I do think that we as AMs need to scrutinise those proposals in detail. You'll appreciate that I and many of my constituents are particularly concerned about the acceptance of landscape change that would be applicable to large parts of Powys that are included within the proposals. You'll appreciate that we have beautiful landscapes in mid Wales and thousands of jobs and businesses depend on that scenic mid Wales landscape. So, I am concerned that there is that acceptance of landscape change detailed within the draft proposals. I'm also concerned that there's no mention of how the power that would be produced would be connected to the national grid. That's also not mentioned within the proposals for the NDF. But can I ask you, Minister, how genuine of a consultation is this in terms of listening to constituents in mid Wales? And what analysis have you done with regard to the effect on the tourism economy of mid Wales if the proposals, as in your consultation, go forward?