Mixed reactions as Shropshire and Mid Wales pylon route revealed
Plans to bury a 400 kv electricity line through the Meifod valley were today welcomed by people living along the route.
National Grid has revealed its preferred route for a 33 mile line that will link a sub-station harnessing the power from proposed wind farms in north Powys into the grid at Lower Frankton, near Ellesmere.
It says eight miles of cable through the north Powys valley will be underground, with the remainder, including the section through Shropshire, mounted on the new-style, T pylons, which are shorter than the traditional steel structures.
Christine Gilson, who runs the Pentre bed and breakfast accommodation at Pont Robert to the north of the Meifod Valley, said she welcomed the decision to put a section underground.
"Many of the people that come to us do so while they are walking on the Glyndwr Way," she said.
"I am very glad to see that the cables will be buried underground in the Meifod Valley and that National Grid has recognised the importance of the long-distance footpath and the effect that pylons would have had on it."
But caravan park owners in the Llansantffraid area, through which the T-pylons will be used, said they remain worried about its affect on tourists.
Jeremy Lee, from National Grid, said the overground line in Llansantffraid would be placed as far away from tourist sites as possible.
Joyce Williams, who runs the Woodside caravan park, said: "There are five parks in this area and we are all still concerned.
"Tourism plays such an important part in the life of this area and we don't want to see owners driven away."
Jane Dodds, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Montgomeryshire, said the line should have run north via Trawsfynydd.
"This is good news for the people of the Meifod valley and I welcome good screening for the sub station of Cefn Coch.
"It is just a huge pity that we are having to do this at all as the lines going via Trawsfynydd would have been a better solution."
"We have a unique landscape here in Montgomeryshire and we need to protect it."
Shadow Minister for Environment, for the Welsh Assembly, and Montgomeryshire Assembly Member, Russell George, said the connection would still blight the landscape despite the wishes of communities.
"The connection project is just part of a larger energy scheme which will industrialise this region," he said. Mr Lee said that, in Shropshire, National Grid has sought to avoid affecting Llanymynech and Four Crosses and also to lessen the effect on the view from Llanymynech Hill.
There would be as few river crossings as possible and woodland could help screen the point where the cables will connect to the existing National Grid line at Lower Frankton
