| 1995 | Manweb approach Forest Enterprise Wales with an 'expression of interest' re: turbines. |
| 1997 | Developers Renewable Energy Systems and Renewable Development Company pursue approaches to FE looking for sites to develop under NFFO 4 & 5 - given the nod by FE Wales. |
| 1997 | GENERAL ELECTION. NEW LABOUR ELECTED. DEVOLUTION REFERENDUM |
| 1998 | Anemometer mast to measure wind speed in situ on Cefn Croes. 'Structures
to be removed from the land by Jan 31st 2001'. ADAS 'Mynydd-y-Ffynnon project commences - agri-environmental scheme attracting grants. Landscape enhancement one of its aims. |
| 1999 Jan | Ceredigion's Deposit Version of the Local Plan changed at a Special Planning Meeting after representations by the Welsh Office, BWEA, Friends of the Earth, which weakened the Wind Farm Design Criteria. |
| 1999 Jul | THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR WALES ESTABLISHED. Christine Gwyther - Rural Affairs Minister receives 'verbal briefing' re Cefn Croes from FE. Not minuted. No record of these briefings. |
| 2000 Jan/Feb | 2000 RDC hold exhibitions showing wind power station plans for Cefn Croes at Syr John Rhys School, Ponterwyd and Hafod Arms Hotel, Devil's Bridge. Melindwr constituency represents only 1.6% of Ceredigion's 70,000 population consulted. |
| 2000 Mar | Cefn Croes Campaign established from local CPRW members and activists opposing the proposals. Public Meetings in Hafod Arms and Red Kite Café. Speakers included Tony Cross - ornithologist; Merfyn Williams - CPRW; Alison Davies - CULM; Geoff Sinclair. Committee established. |
| 2000 Jul 24th | Planning application for turbines submitted - just before summer holidays - RDC Public Notice in Cambrian News. |
| 2000 Jul 27th | Local residents receive notification of planning application from CCC by letter and given only 9 days to respond. |
| 2000 Jul 28th | Campaigner Elizabeth Morley confirms from RAF Strike Command that they have objected to proposals as Cefn Croes is in Tactical Training Area. |
| 2000 Aug | FE produce internal document 'Cefn Croes Wind Farm Conservation and Heritage Management Plan'. |
| 2000 Aug 8th | Deadline for representations to CCC |
| 2000 Aug 9/10th | RDC exhibition John Rhys School |
| 2000 Aug 11/12th | RDC exhibition Ysgoldy Goch, Cwmystwyth. Ie. past deadline for formal representations |
| 2000 Sept 13th | Ceredigion County Council Development Control Committee Meeting. First consideration of Cefn Croes proposals. Dai Lloyd Evans wants it decided immediately - before all consultee responses in. Department of Trade and Industry however, direct that turbines cannot be decided separately from the grid connection. |
| 2000 Oct | DTI officials meet with the developers and local opponents at the George Borrow Hotel in Ponterwyd. Members of the Cefn Croes Campaign were reassured that if CCW, as one of the official consultees objects, a public inquiry would result. |
| 2000 Oct 26th | Site visit by about half of CCC's Planning Committee (although the planning officer had requested that the full council be involved.) |
| 2000 Oct 26th | Green Party public debate in Aberystwyth. Geraint Jewson RDC, Neil Crumpton FoE - Cymru speak for Cefn Croes proposals. Martin Wright - Cefn Croes Campaign, Mervyn Williams - CPRW speak against. |
| 2000 Dec 11th | Planning Officer John Evans asks NAW for their views. |
| 2001 Jan | Sue Essex, NAW Minister for Planning rejected a bungalow in Goginan because it is in a Special Landscape Area. (Articles Cambrian News Jan 18th and Feb 2nd) |
| 2001 Jan | Following pressure from public CCC organise public meeting in Capel Bangor. |
| 2001 Jan | Mynydd-y-Ffynnon Final Report published |
| 2001 Feb 20th | RDC submit planning application to relocate sub-station. Not known when approved as no decision relayed to objectors. |
| 2001 Feb 21st | FOOT AND MOUTH EPIDEMIC STARTS Welsh countryside 'closes down' as a result of restrictions. |
| 2001 Apr | UK Government sells offshore leases for 1,500 MW indicating expansion of offshore wind developments |
| 2001 Apr 11th | CCC Planning approve retention of anemometer masts on Cefn Croes i.e. before consultation period ended. |
| 2001 Apr 26th | Planning application for Grid Connection submitted (just before Easter Holidays) Campaigner points out planning irregularities to CCC. |
| 2001 May | 10-YEARLY NATIONAL CENSUS GENERAL ELECTION Countryside still closed. Labour returned to power. |
| 2001 May 18th | NAW Regional Committee meeting held in National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth. Elin Jones in chair. Formal complaint to Presiding Officer re: curtailment of speaker opposed to wind developments. |
| 2001 July 10th | Simon Thomas MP gives press release warning that if Cefn Croes did not get the go ahead, there might be a nuclear power station instead. (Ref Cambrian News 10th July ) |
| 2001 July 11th | Ceredigion County Council Development Control Committee Meeting vote 18:3 in favour of Cefn Croes turbines; 3 absent. Against the recommendation of their Senior Planning Officer. 'Holding Objection' placed on grid connection route to allow RDC to re-route and and underground. Subsequent formal complaints to Chief Executive of CCC, Local Government Ombudsman, Scrutiny Committee and Edwina Hart, NAW Minister for Local Government about conduct of councillors and flawed decision. Requests for public inquiry intensify. |
| 2001 Jul 13th | NAW Regional Committee meeting at Llanidloes on Renewable Energy, Cynog Dafis in chair. Ceredigion Cllr Alun Lloyd Jones contradicts himself. Formal Complaint re incomplete minutes sent to Presiding Officer. (PL, EM) |
| 2001 Aug 28th | Energy Minister, Brian Wilson at DTI announces 'Windworks' scheme (to be developed by National Wind Power) - promoted as a diversification for farmers. Planning restrictions will be circumvented. |
| 2001 Sep 4th | RDC respond to CCC re grid connection but do not suggest any re-routing or undergrounding of cables. Last minute response. |
| 2001 Sep 11th | CCC Development Control Committee remove 'holding objection' and approve unaltered grid connection route by 14:5 with 5 absent. |
| 2001 Oct 25th | Dragon's Eye programme on BBC Wales interview Rhodri Morgan. When asked about Cefn Croes he states that wind farms are 'entirely a matter of planning law'. |
| 2001 Oct 26th | NAW respond to DTI. Ambivalent response. No request for PI or formal objection. |
| 2001 Nov | Collapse of ENRON. Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State at the DTI, formerly worked for Andersen ENRON's disgraced auditors. Donations to Labour Party from ENRON exposed. Cefn Croes Campaign members had informed NAW member, local MP and Patricia Hewitt about the misdeeds of ENRON well before the shamed company's collapse. |
| 2001 Dec 10th | Brian Wilson, visiting south Wales to open Parc Cynog wind power station, casually announces he is 'minded to approve' Cefn Croes (without visiting the site) taking everyone, including DTI staff, by surprise. |
| 2002 Jan | Camddwr Trust proposal exposed by CPRW for 165 turbines, up to 400 feet high on land between Strata Florida and Llyn Brianne. |
| 2002 | Dragon's Eye programme highlights Cefn Croes and Camddwr |
| 2002 Jan 28th | CPRW and co-signatories send letter to DTI objecting to Brian Wilson's announcement and calling for public inquiry. |
| 2002 Feb | Government's Energy Review published produced by the Performance and Innovation Unit at the Cabinet Office |
| 2002 Feb 21st | ENRON Wind taken over by General Electric Company despite earlier statements by Geraint Jewson that EWOD was financially secure. |
| 2002 Feb 26th | Debate in the House of Lords re Cefn Croes. Numerous peers attack decision but only Lord Sainsbury (Science Minister and Labour Party benefactor) defends Government position. |
| 2002 Feb 28th | Debate in the NAW instigated by Nick Bourne Conservative AM on wind 'farms'. This was the only occasion when Cefn Croes was formally discussed by Cabinet. |
| 2002 Mar 1st | St David's Day debate in the House of Commons. Roger Williams (Powys MP) speaks against proposal. At no stage however, does Welsh Secretary, Paul Murphy state any opinion on Cefn Croes, nor is he formally consulted. |
| 2002 Mar 12th | Cefn Croes planning obligation 106 signed by Cambrian Wind Energy (Geraint Jewson) , National Assembly for Wales (Ian Shaw) and Agricultural Development Advisory Service -tenants on the FE land (John Wildig). No publicity given to this. Letters to Western Mail not printed. |
| 2002 mid-April | Attempts to persuade Powys CC to identify suitable sites for onshore wind farms. (Brecon and Radnor Express article) Subsequently all local authorities must identify areas for wind developments. (Ceredigion/Dyfed did this in 1992 but policy abandoned due to pressure from estate agents re planning blight) |
| 2002 April | Consultation document (NAW renewable energy) published. Responses to be in by 5th July (presumption that Cefn Croes and Camddwr will go ahead), despite formal consent not yet given. |
| 2002 Apr 29th | Taro Naw programme on S4C re Camddwr proposal. (Brian Wilson and Dafydd Huws ex Plaid Cymru President, consulting together at Renewables conference in France) |
| 2002 Apr 30th | BBC Wales 6 pm news state that 'Cefn Croes approved therefore MOD have lost part of their TTA range for low-flying', (pre-empts formal decision) and MOD have previously stated that low-flying will not cease if Cefn Croes is developed. |
| 2002 Apr 30th | NAW Cabinet statement from Andrew Davies Minister for Economic Development (presumption that Cefn Croes and Camddwr will go ahead) |
| 2002 May 2nd | House of Commons 'Wales in the World' debate. Nigel Evans, Shadow Welsh Secretary points out vital importance to Wales of tourism income, the biggest single contributor to the national economy. Confirmed by Paul Murphy, SoS at the Welsh Office (who has remained silent on Cefn Croes) |
| 2002 May | Ceredigion CC Unitary Development Plan for consultation. |
| 2002 May | High court ruling against Ecogen re MOD/RAF objection to Kielder Forest development. (Cambrian News 9th May 2002) |
| 2002 May 5th | Story in Sunday Times and May 6th Western Mail on drowning Upper Elan Valley to provide water for SE England. (CPRW thinks this was a smokescreen to detract attention from Cefn Croes decision) |
| 2002 May 14th | BBC 1 Wales programme Week In Week Out exposes Dai Lloyd Evans, Leader of Ceredigion Council who owns land ear-marked by council in UDP for housing development. Press coverage in Cambrian News and Western Mail. |
| 2002 May 23rd | DTI announces formal consent for Cefn Croes subject to various conditions. Decision letter from SoS to objectors. |
| 2002 May 27th | NAW rejects 42 turbines at Cwm Llwyd Carno only 59 metres high and 16 turbines at Llancarfan, Llanbrynmair 68 metres high. But approves 17 turbines at Mynydd Cloggau 68 metres high after Public Inquiries which included one on intervisibility and cumulative impact. |
| 2002 May 31st | QUEEN'S GOLDEN JUBILEE BANK HOLIDAY |
| 2002 Jun 3rd | FOOTBALL WORLD CUP BEGINS |
| 2002 Jun 13th | TV News report on Dai Lloyd Evans. Police investigation under way. (Dyfed/Powys Fraud Office) |
| 2002 Jun 14th | Private Eye article on Dan Curry, former advisor to Peter Mandelson and Steven Byers (both ex- SoS DTI during the Cefn Croes development process) and links to ENRON. |
| 2002 Jun 22nd | AGM of CPRW. Executive Committee undecided about applying for judicial review. Cefn Croes Action Group decide to proceed within the 6 week time limit, as only one week left. |
| 2002 Jun 28th | Papers submitted to High Courts of Justice, The Strand, London, by Kaye Little and David Morgan Jones to seek Judicial Review of the Secretary of State's decision. Copies taken to DTI and the developers |
| 2002 Aug 8th | Announcement of plans for massive power station for Vagar Hill, Dorstone, in the Golden Valley, Herefordshire, by Force 9 Energy from Slough. |
| 2002 Aug 28th | Barristers meeting at Glansevern Hall |
| 2002 early Sep | Johannesburg Summit to discuss progress since Rio Summit in 1993. |
| 2002 late Sep | 'Windworks' scheme turbine proposals for Pentre Tump, New Radnor announced, Friends of the Earth (Cymru) radio poll claims public support. |
| 2002 Oct 2-4th | Geraint Jewson awarded Developer of the Year at BWEA AGM, for successfully bringing in the first Section 36 application. NB in advance of the JR decision. 'We know where you live' threat to several wind opponents appear on BWEA website. |
| 2002 mid-Oct | On day after gales and severe weather, more than 100 demonstrators led by Roger Williams, Lib-Dem MP, brave the floods and fallen trees to climb Pentre Tump - the 'Windworks' proposal site |
| 2002 Nov 17th | A VisitScotland poll shows that visitors go to Scotland for the scenery contradicting an earlier Mori poll commissioned by the BWEA which was later discredited. |
| 2002 Nov 19th | Oral Hearing in High Courts of Justice fails to convince Judge Burnton that there is a case for a judicial review. The developers solicitors, Bond Pearce, regard it as a "Landmark Case." |
| 2002 Nov 22nd | Judge's decision against us |
| 2002 Nov 22nd | DTI publishes document "Future Offshore" policy indicating massive expansion of wind turbines off the coast. |
| 2002 Nov 25th | Peter Hain, newly appointed Welsh Secretary who replaced Paul Murphy, wrote in the Western Mail denouncing anti-wind campaigners as NIMBYs (NB - he was former Energy Minister at DTI) |
| 2002 Nov 29th | Farmers Union Wales hold Diversification Conference in Aberystwyth. Attendees were Jonathan Jones, Chairman of Wales Tourist Board and First Minister, Rhodri Morgan, who did not want to discuss wind turbines!!! |
| 2003 Jan 14th | NAW (now renamed Welsh Assembly Government) publishes its final report on Renewable Energy from the Economic Development Committee. EDC incorporates tourism but were WTB consulted? No specific details of numbers of on-shore turbines, but ambitious goals of 4 terrawatts and 7 terrawatts. |
| 2003 late Jan | Brecon councillors vote to reject planning application for 6 turbines just outside Brecon. |
| 2003 Jan 31st | Judge Burnton's judgment of our JR request finally available. Concludes, we should have challenged CCC decision and not the SoS at the DTI. |
| 2003 Feb 1st | National Wind Power announce 1000th UK wind turbine in North Wales. 1000 wind turbines in UK provide domestic electricity for only 500,000 households! |
| 2003 Feb 25th | White Paper published from the PIU/DTI on Energy. (Renewable 'aspirations'). Very short on specifics. Much criticised. No targets for energy efficiency and conservation measures. |
| 2003 Mar 1st | Cefn Croes protest meeting and walk from the Arch addressed by Nicholas Bourne AM. Cambrian News coverage. |
| 2003 Mar 4th | RDC apply for permission for alternative access track to Cefn Croes site - approved at April planning meeting. Requests for a recorded vote ignored, and no minutes of discussion. Inadequately minuted. |
| 2003 Mar 14th | NAW Mid Wales Regional Committee meeting at Dolgellau with renewable energy on the agenda |
| 2003 Mar 20th | IRAQ WAR BEGINS |
| 2003 Mar 20th | In Cambrian News Simon Thomas accuses Dai Lloyd Evans of corruption and repeats this accusation in the House of Commons. |
| 2003 Mar 26th | NAW call public inquiry into Scarweather sands offshore development in Swansea Bay. (Last act of Sue Essex as Minister for Planning) |
| 2003 Mar 28th | Second reading of the Energy Bill in House of Commons |
| 2003 May | NAW ELECTIONS - Plaid Cymru Ceredigion AM, Elin Jones returned with May reduced vote. Only 38% of the electorate voted. |
| 2003 Jun 12th | Death of Phil Williams, former Plaid AM recently retired. Together with Cynog Dafis he advised the Economic and Development Committee of the Assembly on promotion of wind energy |
| 2003 Jun 13th | Tony Blair reshuffles his Cabinet. Helen Liddell (a previous Energy Minister) resigns and Brian Wilson steps down. Peter Hain becomes Leader of the House of Commons but still represents Welsh matters in the House. Lord Falconer (unelected of the Dome fiasco) to head new Constitutional Affairs Dept. |
| 2003 Jul 15th | Massive expansion of Offshore Wind Development announced by Patricia Hewitt. |