Protest over Abermule power station plans

Placard waving protesters turned out to fight plans for a 19-acre power station to be built in a Mid Wales village. People were left facing 50m queues at get into a consultation meeting at Abermule Community Centre.

The meeting was being held by National Grid.

Campaigners against the bid to build a substation in Abermule and associated power lines in the area, claim it could drive people out of the village.

Two potential sites at Abermule, near Newtown, and Cefn Coch, near Llanfair Caereinion, have been earmarked for the substation.

County councillor Wynne Jones, one of the protesters leading the campaign, said he was incredibly pleased with Saturday's turnout which saw more than 1,000 people through the door.

He said: "Dozens of schoolchildren turned out waving placards and the consultation ended up being put back by three quarters of an hour because of the protest at 10am on Saturday.

"The general feedback from 99 per cent of the people who turned out to the consultation event is that people don't want a substation being built so close to a community.

"People are worried about the possible health risks, the damage it will have on the landscape, and the detrimental effects it will have on village life.

"A lot of people generally think its a very stupid proposal and wonder why National Grid want to build a substation so close to a community."

A public meeting will take place on April 6 at 7.30pm at the community centre.

Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies said the meeting sent out a strong message about the proposals.