There has been fantastic news for anyone with an interest in preserving wildlife recently with the news that the huge Craig-y-Perthi solar farm in nearby Bishton, on the outskirts of Newport, has been refused planning permission. This news will be of interest to anyone living in my region of South Wales East – and beyond – because environmental experts said it threatened the existence of the delicate wetlands area known as the Gwent Levels.

This inter-tidal zone of saltmarshes, mudflats and sands has evolved over centuries since the invasion of the Romans. It has since become a haven for rare species and flora away from the overdevelopment of nearby urban areas. Among the species that are found here is the shrill carder bee which is one of the rarest species of bee. It is no wonder that the Gwent Levels have been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Unfortunately, the area has been earmarked for several, industrial-sized solar farms which – if all approved – would threaten around a fifth of the Gwent Levels. I – and Plaid Cymru – are strong advocates of renewable energy. It makes sense for us to harness our natural resources to generate energy, especially when global conflict jeopardises the supply or affordability of power. It is also a crucial component in the fight against the climate crisis. However, renewable energy projects should not be detrimental to the environment and wildlife. As Mike Webb, a conservationist who worked for the Gwent Wildlife Trust once wrote: ‘You Can't Destroy the Environment to Save the Environment.’

We already know from a report written three years after the completion of the Llanwern Solar Farm how detrimental these projects can be on local wildlife. The report authors found that - despite numerous efforts to mitigate the impact of the solar farm - lapwing numbers had declined, key bee species numbers were down, bat activity had declined and the common crane had gone from the area.

Apart from locating solar farms in more appropriate locations, I would like to see much more community benefits from these schemes. The large-scale renewable energy projects are usually foreign owned, which means the vast profits generated flow out of the local communities which host them. For example, a German firm was behind the Craig-y-Perthi scheme. There would be much greater buy-in from residents if there were real, tangible benefits such as reduced energy bills. This approach has been adopted in other countries where renewable energy projects are more accepted and, as a result, more abundant and generating more power.