Awel Aman Tawe

About this group

We got through to the final shortlist so please vote for our community wind farm here! All funding will be used to progress the project to Financial Close with Coop Bank. The next piece of work is completing a Ground Investigation Report which involves drilling 30m at each turbine and hard standing location to see what exactly is underneath!

We're also encouraging people to vote for the Environment Centre in Swansea who are applying for PV and energy efficiency improvements. We've had a lot of help and encouragement from them over the years. and they're the only other Welsh project to make it through to the final! 

www.energyshare.com/environment-centre-swansea

Click on this link to vote for the Centre

Elusen a menter cymdeithasol yn ne Cymru yw Awel Aman Tawe (AAT), yn gweithio â grŵpiau cymunedol yr ardal, cynghorau cymunedol a sefydliadau eraill. Ffocws y prosiect yw sefydlu fferm wynt gymunedol 4MW. Go gyfer y gymuned mae'r fferm wynt - bydd yr elw ddaw o werthu trydan gynhyrchir gan y tyrbinau yn caniatâu ystod o fentrau cynaliadwy wedi eu chysylltu â trafnidiaeth glân, bwyd lleol, effeithlonrwydd ynni, technoleg adnewyddol meicro, addysg a hyfforddiant. Mae caniatâd cynllunio eisoes wedi ei dderbyn. 

Awel Aman Tawe (AAT) is a small charity and social enterprise in South Wales working with other community groups, community councils and partner organisations.  The project focuses on the establishment of a 4MW community wind farm. The wind farm will act as a local asset - the anticipated operating profits from electricity sales will support a range of sustainable initiatives linked to clean transport, local food, energy efficiency and micro renewables, education and training. Planning consent has been secured for the wind farm.

Mae'r fferm wynt wedi ei leoli 20milltir i'r gogledd o Abertawe yng nghwm Aman. Mae'r gymuned sydd yn rhwym i gynlluniau'r prosiect yn cynnwys 12 pentref yn yr Aman a Chwm Tawe, sydd wedi ei leoli o gwmpas safle y fferm wynt ar Mynydd y Gwrhyd. Mae swyddfeydd AAT yng Nghwmllynfell, un o'r 12 pentref. Mae o gwmpas 13,500 o bol yn byw yn y 12 pentref sydd wedi eu gwasgaru dros 3 awdurdod unedol sef Castell Nedd Port Talbot (ble bydd safle y fferm wynt), Sir Gar a Powys. Naws gwledig sydd i'r ardal. Gorweddai ar phen gorllewinol Parc Genedlaethol Banau Brycheiniog, ac i'r de mae cymoedd glofaol gynt yn arwain tuag at yr M4 a'r mór. Pontardawe, Rhydaman ac Ystalyfera yw'r trefi cyfagos lle mae pobl yn siopa. Yn Castell Nedd ac Abertawe ger yr M4 mae'r cyfleoedd cyflogaeth mwyaf.

The proposed wind farm is located 20 miles north of Swansea in the Amman valley. The participating community comprises the 12 villages in the Upper Amman and Swansea Valley surrounding the wind farm site on Mynydd y Gwrhyd.  AAT has its offices in Cwmllynfell, one of the 12 villages. There are approximately 13,500 people living in the 12 villages which are spread across the three unitary authorities of Neath Port Talbot (in which the wind farm will be sited), Carmarthenshire and Powys. The area has a predominantly rural character. Its lies at the foot of the western end of the Brecon Beacons National Park and to the south are the former mining valleys running towards the M4 and the sea. Closest towns are Pontardawe, Ammanford and Ystradgynlais where people shop. Most employment is based around Neath, Swansea and along M4 corridor.

Ardal ffermio oedd y llecyn hon yn wreiddiol, ond dros gyfnod o 150 mlynedd, dyfodd y diwydiant glo yn gyflogwr enfawr, gan hybu cymunedau ffynnianus. Daeth ffatrioedd mawr o ganlyn i'r ardal, gan greu mwy o swyddi i bobl lleol. Fe wnaeth cwymp y diwydiant glo, cau ffatrioedd diweddar ynghyd a'r argyfyngiadau a tharodd y diwydiant amaethyddol a'r argyfwng economiadd, lleihau asedau pobl yr ardal, a gadael eu cymunedau yn agored i niwed bellach. Er hyn, mae pobl yr ardal yn dangos parodrwydd i fod yn greadigol a chyfrifol dros eu tynged, gan datblygu mentrau adfywio cymunedol fel Menter Cwm Aman (Canolfan Maerdy erbyn hyn) a gwirfoddoli i rhedeg Neuadd Gyhoeddus a Sinema Brynaman, un o'r enghreifftiau olaf yng Nghymru o adeilad a'i adeiladwyd gan y glowyr.

Traditionally a cattle and sheep farming area, over a period of 150 years, the coal mining industry became a major employer, giving rise to thriving communities.  Large factories subsequently moved in, generating further jobs for local people. The demise of the coal mining industry, recent factory closures and the current farming crisis, among other economic shocks, have depleted people's assets and left communities vulnerable. However, people living here also demonstrate initiative and resilience, developing award winning community regeneration schemes such as Amman Valley Enterprise[1] (now Canolfan Maerdy) and the volunteer-run Brynaman Public Hall and Cinema which was built by the miners and is one of the few still remaining in Wales.

Mae tlodi tanwydd yn bryder mawr, yn enwedig i'r henoed. Mae stoc dai bresenol yr ardal o safon isel (o rhan effeithlonrwydd ynni), lle gynhesir llawer o'r tai waliau solet á glo neu olew. Yn dilyn ymlaen o'r ardaloedd glofaol gynt, mae yna ganran uchel o dai preifat yn yr ardal. Mae gwybodaeth ystadegol am un ardal, sef pentref Cwmllynfell wedi ei atodi. O ganlyn i'r uchod, mae ol-troed carbon yr ardal llawer llai nag ardaloedd mwy cefnog, gan bod pobl yn hedfan llai ac a llai o geir. Mae'r cyffredinoli eisoes wedi cael ei phrofi gan ymchwil yn dangos bod awdurdodau lleol Cymru gyda'r lefelau mwyaf uchel o dlodi, hefyd á'r ol troed carbon isaf.

Fuel poverty is a major concern especially for older citizens. The housing stock is poor with many solid wall houses heated by coal or oil. In line with much of the former coalfield areas, there is a relatively high proportion of private housing in the area. An example of the statistical information available for one community, Cwmllynfell, is attached http://www.npt.gov.uk/PDF/Neighbourhood%20Profile%20for%20Cwmllynfell.pdf . Due to the l, the overall carbon footprint is almost certainly lower that more affluent areas as people fly less and have fewer cars. This generalisation has been evidenced by research showing that local authorities in Wales with the highest level of poverty also have the lowest footprints. http://www.sustainwales.com/home/en/campaigns_behaviour_change_viewpoints.aspx

Derbyniwyd caniatad cynllunio am y fferm wynt yn Hydref 2009 am dwy tyrbin, 100m i'r pen (twr o 60m a'r llafnau'n 40m). Roedd hyn yn dilyn broses o ymgynghoriad cymunedol, referendwm annibynol wedi ei orychwilio a'r Wasanaeth Diwygio Etholiadol, ac Asesiad Effaith Amgylcheddol ar safle'r tyrbinau (Mae dwy adroddiad o'r ymgynghoriad ar gael ar wefan y DECC).

Planning consent for the wind farm was achieved in October 2009 for two turbines, 100m to tip (60m towers and 40m blades). This followed a process of community consultation, an independent referendum managed by the Electoral Reform Services and an Environmental Impact Assessment of the site. (Two reports on the consultation available from DECC website).

Yn dilyn meddylfryd AAT, sicrhawyd bod y prosiect yn un oedd yn cynnwys y gymuned lleol, gan greu buddianau economaidd a pharchu'r amgylchedd; ni fuodd y fferm wynt byth yn prosiect datblygu isadeiledd technelegol. Er enghraifft, hyfforddwyd 18 person lleol i feistroli technegau a sgiliau cynhwysedig a cyfranogol ac yna ei defnyddio i wneud y gwaith. Aeth llawer ymlaen i weithio i sefydliadau eraill, ac ennillodd Sian Rhys Williams gwobr 'Person Ifanc y Flwyddyn' yng nghystadleuaeth gan Cyngor Ieuenctid Prydain. Arweiniodd hyn i'r Lywodraeth Brydeinig yn defnyddio AAT fel astudiaeth achos yn Cynhadledd y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Datblygu Cynaliadwy yn Johannesburg yn 2002.

In keeping with AAT’s established approach to ensure that initiatives are socially inclusive, generate economic benefits and support the environment, the wind farm project has never been purely a technical infrastructure development. For example,18 local people were trained in participatory and inclusive consultation techniques and then employed to undertake this work. Several went on to employment with other organisations, and Sian Rhys Williams won the British Youth Council’s ‘Young Person of the Year’ award. This approach led to the British Government selecting AAT as a case study for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002.

Mae AAT wedi ymgeisio i ehangu cefnogaeth a chydnabyddiaeth drwy ledanu gwaith yr elusen i fewn i bob ffurf yn y maes effeithlonrwydd ynni. Amcangyfrifwn fod 50 tunell o garbon wedi cael ei arbed trwy ystod o brosiectau yn cynnwys gwynt, PV a pympiau gwres, ac fe wnaeth mesurau effeithlonrwydd ynni arbed 400 tunell. Yn bellach, mae caniatad cynllunio wedi ei ddiogelu i ddatblygu caffi carbon isel, pwmp biodisel a rhandiroedd yn swyddfeydd ATT yng Nghwmllynfell. Dyma'r math o brosiectau byddai'n cael eu gwireddu gyda'r elw ddaw o'r tyrbinau gwynt ar ol Mawrth 2012. Rydym yn credu bod ymrwymo pobl mewn prosiectau cymunedol sydd hefyd yn carbon isel, yn arwain i newidiadau mewn agweddau.

AAT has sought to increase support and recognition by broadening the charity’s work into all forms of renewables and energy efficiency. We estimate that 50 tonnes of carbon have been saved through a range of projects including wind, PV, heat pumps and energy efficiency measures saved over 400 tonnes. In addition, planning consent has been secured to develop a zero carbon café, biodiesel pump and allotments at AAT’s offices in the village of Cwmllynfell. These are the sort of projects which would be taken forward from wind farm profits beyond March 2011. We consider that engaging people in a range of low carbon community initiatives encourages behaviour change.  

I gymunedau'r Aman a Cwhm Tawe, mae newid yn yr hinsawdd yn her ag yn gyfle euraidd. Yn nghydestyn Cynllun Gofodol Cymru (CGC), mae'r Aman a Cwm Tawe yn gorwedd o fewn is rhanbarth Cymreig a'i adnebyddir fel Bae Abertawe: Ardal y Glannau a Chymoedd y Gorllewin. Y weledigaeth am y rhanbarth yw i hybu cymunedau bywiog creadigol gyda economi carbon isel, gyda Abertawe yn galon i'r holl ardal. Mae datblygiadau carbon isel, yn benodol mentrau ynni cymunedol, hefyd wedi cael ei cyfri o bwysigrwydd mawr yn adroddiad 'Low Carbon Wales' y Comisiwn Datblygu Gynaliadwy.  

For the communities of the Upper Amman and Swansea Valley, climate change is both a challenge and an opportunity. In the context of the Wales Spatial Plan (WSP), the Upper Amman and Swansea Valley lies within the sub-region of Wales described as the Swansea Bay: Waterfront and Western Valleys Area http://wales.gov.uk/location/swansea_bay/spatial/whoswho/?lang=enThe Vision outlined for this area in the Wales Spatial Plan is for the development of a vibrant low carbon knowledge economy with Swansea at its heart. Low carbon development, in particular community energy schemes,  is also identified as a key growth sector in the Sustainable Development Commission’s report Low Carbon Wales http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=1018

[1] Winners of the British Urban Regeneration Award