On Wednesday 15 July, Nigel Topping CMG, Chair of the UK Climate Change Committee, paid a visit to Awel Aman Tawe’s community wind farm and new, low carbon HQ and community centre, Hwb y Gors, during a visit to south Wales.
Dan McCallum, AAT Chief Executive, said “We were very pleased to be able to show Nigel the wind turbines in action – there was a strong breeze on the day as well as plenty of strong sunshine. We could explain that we are about to start construction on a solar array and a 5 MWh battery on the same site in order to maximise supplying renewable energy to the grid via our wind farm connection. This flexibility will bring an increase to our income which in turn enables us to support the sustainability of services, support and opportunities for our community. We also discussed the issues that are preventing the roll out of similar projects around the country.”
Nigel and his colleagues were given a tour of Hwb y Gors, a living, breathing example of how a community can rebuild connections, confidence and resilience when it owns its local resources.
Emily Hinshelwood, AAT Creative Director explained “Over the first ten months since opening, Hwb y Gors has grown into a thriving community hub at the heart of the Upper Amman Valley. It is rapidly become a busy, welcoming and trusted community space where people come together to learn, create, volunteer, improve their wellbeing and connect with others.
“The former primary school was a much loved building in the centre of the village. We prioritised consultation and engagement with a wide range of individuals and organisations when we were drawing up our plans to redevelop the school. Now, everywhere you turn here, there is a reminder of the people and stories that are in the very fabric of our building and community. The only way we could do all of this was by investing the profits from our wind farm into our local area.”
During the tour of Hwb y Gors, Nigel Topping commented: “I am visiting a number of interesting projects and organisations during my time in Wales. As someone from a manufacturing background, I wanted to make sure that I visited a site that is actually making energy and see for myself how community ownership can deliver huge benefits to local people as well as have a significant impact on our commitment to tackling climate change.”
