LLANDYBIE community councillors have agreed to oppose plans for a wind turbine at Heol Ddu on the grounds of visual impact and its close proximity to houses as well as the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Technical officer Brian James – who disclosed the turbine would measure 100 feet to its tip – had said the application was amended before councillors had a chance to discuss the original application.

"Its planned location has now been moved 28 feet nearer the road," he said. "My recommendation would have been to move it away from the road.

"It's right up on the top of Heol Ddu – you will be able to see it throughout the Penygroes, Blaenau and Saron area. It's on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, but they have not objected."

Cllr Pat Tiddy claimed all such turbines were having an effect on electricity bills. "As much as 1.7 per cent of our bills are being used to fund these sources of power," he said. "The more we allow to be constructed, the more we will have to pay."

Chairman Peter Roberts asked: "Are we craeting a precedent every time we agree to one of these being erected?"

Cllr Ian Llewelyn conceded that the council had to take a balanced approach. "These sort of proposals are not going to go away and we need to strike a balance over whether this is the right location," he added. "It's a difficult one."

County councillor Alun Davies said he would prefer to see more emphasis placed on hydro electric power schemes. "We are always seeing plans for wind turbines and solar farms, but never hydro electric power," he said.

"Hydro electric is out of sight and out of mind, plus the water flows all the time. When temperatures dropped to minus 17 during the big freeze of 2010 there was barely a breath of wind and turbines would have stopped turning – we would have been without electricity just when we needed it most."