Windfarms 'to create jobs'

Hundreds of jobs will be created in Powys during the construction of two planned windfarms, it was claimed today.

Developers intend to build dozens of turbines at sites near Welshpool and Newtown over the next few years and say transporting them "won't be a problem".

Scottish Power Renewables said it planned to slash the current number of turbines at Llandinam Windfarm, near Newtown, from 103 to 42 and making them twice as high - going from 150ft to 400ft.

The energy firm also intends to build seven 229ft high meteorological masts for three years at Dyfnant Forest, Llangadfan, near Welshpool.

A spokesman for the company said planning applications had already been submitted for both sites to Powys County Council and it was now just a matter of waiting to see whether consent would be granted.

He said: "We already have a windfarm at Llandinam but there are plans to restructure it.

"The whole reason for putting test masts up at Dyfnant Forest is to see if there is scope for a windfarm there. The masts will be erected for a temporary period of three years to help us carry out a feasibility study which forms part of our investigation."

The spokesman said both projects would help create hundreds of local jobs. He said: "We are 100 per cent committed to working with the local community and one of our main aims, whenever we submit planning applications, is to keep the communities fully informed.

"We want people's opinions. We are in the middle of arranging a public consultation for Dyfnant Forest, we're hoping it will take place later next month.

"We're also keen to get over the point about the amount of local jobs that the construction for these two windfarms will create."

He urged people not to believe everything they heard about transport problems. He said: "We have worked on a lot of windfarm projects in the past and we have never experienced any problems getting the turbine parts to the sites.

"We always work closely with transport experts and I don't think it will cause anywhere near as much problems as people have been saying it will."

By Anwen Evans