The BMC is looking at its policy on windfarms on the uplands

Should Britain’s official mountaineering body take a stance on windfarms on the country’s hills?

It’s a question that will be put to a gathering in north Wales next month, when the British Mountaineering Council hosts a seminar on how to protect upland landscapes while encouraging renewable energy.

At present, the BMC, the representative body for hillwalkers, mountaineers and climbers, considers its stance on windfarms case-by-case, but the Llanberis meeting will ask whether the council should have a broader policy on protecting the nation’s hills and mountains from all potential threats.

The seminar, Sustainable Energy, Sustainable Landscapes, is open to BMC members and non-members and organisers say anyone from the hillwalking and climbing communities is welcome.

Representatives from the John Muir Trust, the Renewable Energy Foundation and West Coast Energy will speak at the gathering on 10 September at the Electric Mountain Visitor Centre. Steve Evison, of Resources for Change, will chair the meeting.

The meeting is scheduled to run from 9am until 1pm. Anyone wishing to attend should ring the BMC on 0161 438 3333 or email access and conservation officer Cath Flitcroft by Friday 19 August.