Wind power cash 'should go to homes nearest site'

Hundreds of thousands of pounds generated from the development of a proposed windfarm in Powys ought to be given to those who would be affected by the site, it has been claimed.

Npower renewables wants to build 65 of the the biggest wind turbines ever on UK soil on 5,000 acres of hillside at Carnedd Wen near Llanbrynmair, Machynlleth.

Each turbine would stand 137 metres (449ft) high - the same height as the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.

Developers are discussing how the "community" money from the development should be spent, but Welshpool Town Council said it should go to to those who would be affected by the proposed site.

Plans for the development have been submitted to Powys County Council but council officials said it would take years for the application to be determined.

A spokesman for Npower said: "We're looking at how people want to see the money spent. But we are unable to comment any further at the moment."

Welshpool Town Council has already been consulted. Clerk Robert Robinson said: "The money from this development will be hundreds of thousands of pounds and we have been asked where the money should be spent.

"We have suggested to the developers that 30 per cent of the money be given to people living with two kilometres of this site, 20 per cent to those living within 10 kilometres of the site, 30 per cent to people who will be directly affected by the transport and 20 per cent to those people who will have to look at the pylons which will need to be built for this site."

He added: "I've been told that the money for the community will be generated from the sale of electricty to the National Grid."