Protesters hand in anti-pylons files

Campaigners fighting against plans which could see hundreds of pylons built across Shropshire and Mid Wales have presented a 44-page document to the Welsh Assembly.

A group in seven cars recently travelled down to the Senedd in Cardiff to hand over the document, which details the devastation campaigners say would be caused if the plans go ahead.

It comes after National Grid bosses launched consultation events in the region to discuss routes for a 400,000-volt cable linking windfarms in Powys to the grid.

The cable will go along 46 metre-high pylons or be routed underground.

The plans include a power station being built in either Abermule, near Newtown, or Cefn Coch, near Llanfair Caereinion.

Seven cars with trailers travelled through Wales to the capital to show their dismay about the plans to build windfarms and electricity pylons in the area.

The National Grid wants to construct a new electricity sub-station to harness power from the windfarms that are being built across Mid Wales. From whichever station is chosen a 400,000-volt power line will then have to be built to link the sub-station to the main electricity network at either Lower Frankon, Wigmarsh or Walford Heath in north Shropshire.

National Grid has published 10 suggested routes that would take the pylons, crossing Mid Wales and Shropshire. At least four of those routes would see the pylons built in the picturesque Meifod valley.

Objectors say the pylons should be buried underground but National Grid says that that would cost up to 10 times the amount.

However it has stressed that it is only in the very early stages of deciding where and how the power line should link the sub-station with the National Grid.

Many of those against the plans say that wind energy is not as environmentally friendly as it seems.

They say the energy used to build and maintain the huge windfarm is more than the energy they produce.

The Welsh Assembly is looking again at the situation in Wales. Last week First Minister Carwyn Jones released a statement on energy, which seemed to back more windfarms on land and off shore.

By Sue Austin

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