Cable burial proposal fails to stop protests in Shropshire and Mid Wales

The current stage of public consultation by National Grid over the plans is due to come to a close tomorrow with a drop-in session at West Felton.

The firm's consultation team were in Meifod yesterday and today to update the public on the plans. National Grid wants to put about a quarter of the 33-mile line underground.

Campaigners on both sides of the Shropshire/Welsh border have been fighting the plans over concerns the line, 25 miles of which are likely to be carried overhead on pylons, will decimate the tourism industry and damage the countryside.

National Grid said it plans to bury eight miles of the line underground as it passes through the Meifod valley.

The line will take energy generated by proposed Mid Wales windfarms from Cefn Coch, near Llanfair Caereinion, to a national network substation at Lower Frankton, near Oswestry.

Powys County Councillor Myfanwy Alexander attended yesterday's drop-in session at Meifod and she said that the undergrounding proposals don't go far enough.

She said: "I think it is divisive to say certain areas of landscape are worthy of protection while other areas of landscape are not worthy of that same protection."

Miss Alexander said the additional cost of undergrounding at Meifod, estimated to be in the region of £100 million, was also a huge concern.

She said a recent survey in her ward found that three quarters of people were against windfarms.

Greg Phillimore, part of the public consultation team which has been hosting drop-in sessions, said they had received mixed views from residents. He said some had welcomed the suggestion that National Grid would use less intrusive and lower T-pylon style pylons rather than the traditional, larger lattice style.

He said: "We have had some great feedback and strong views and we are still open to hearing more."

He said later next year finer details of the plans would be released, followed by another round of consultation.