Row over Mid Wales windfarm power station sites

Two potential sites in Mid Wales earmarked for a power station to link windfarms to the National Grid should never have been up for consideration, it has been claimed.

Councillor Russell George, of Newtown, said it was outrageous that sites in Abermule, near Newtown, and Cefn Coch, near Llanfair Caereinion, were being thought of as a potential substation location.

It comes as dozens of people visited a community centre near Cefn Coch yesterday as part of a series of public exhibitions being staged by National Grid and Scottish Power to find people's views on the plans.

The National Grid has said the electricity infrastructure needs upgrading in Powys to cope with the number of windfarms being built in the area.

The 19-acre power station will collect energy from the windfarms and a 400,000 volt cable will deliver the power from the station into the national system.

The cable could take the form of overhead power lines, underground cables or a combination of the two.

Councillor George said: "The hub should not go in either location, the whole thing is outrageous and I will be fighting until the very end to stop this.

"Abermule is a thriving growing community and the Vyrnwy Valley is one of Montgomeryshire's biggest assets. The politicians in Cardiff supporting this should be ashamed."

But Dave Jones, a resident in Cefn Coch, who attended the public exhibition yesterday, said a power station needed to be built somewhere.

"I'm not against it coming here and I only live across the road," he said.

But Greg Smith, of Pontrobert, near Meifod, said he was opposed to the plans.

He said: "Pylons as high as 48m will be coming through Meifod and even though they won't directly affect me I still don't want to see them on my daily travels."

Villagers in Meifod are being urged to attend a public meeting tonight to discuss how the pylons will affect the village. It will be held at the Cobra Rugby Club, Meifod, at 7.30pm.

By Anwen Evans