Oswestry councillors call for forward thinking over future of power supplies
Britain must look at alternative ways of harnessing power if it is to provide electricity for future generations, Oswestry councillors have said.
New energy sources came under the spotlight at Oswestry Town Council when councillors debated both wind energy and fracking.
Councillor Bill Benyon said the lights would go out in Britain if its residents did not grasp the importance of finding alternative energy.
The town council was discussing two motions by Councillor Martin Bennett. One called for a seminar on coal bed methane extraction, which was agreed, the other for the council to reiterate its opposition to putting pylons across the Oswestry countryside to connect wind farms in Mid Wales to the National Grid at Welsh Frankton.
He said there was to be a planning application for an exploratory borehole at Criftins .
"Former miners say that the coal seams in the area are fractured so it may be more complicated to extract the methane. And with the coal seams in the Morda and Sweeney areas we could see drilling all around us. We should be able to discuss this from a position of knowledge," he said.
Councillor Duncan Kerr said it seemed strange to be having a seminar on one alternative energy source yet be against another. He said that wind power was accepted to be the cheapest green energy.
Councillor Martin Bennett said: "It is not the energy source that I am concerned about, it is the method of connection to the National Grid. It is not the way it is generated but the way it is distributed.
Tourism is extremely important to the economy of this area and we are trying to encourage visitors to spend longer in this area. Many people come here for the beautiful countryside, pylons will detract for this."
There was a plea from Councillor Bill Benyon for the public to grasp the urgency of finding alternative energy sources.
"I have 16 solar panels on my roof and I know some neighbour say they spoil the look of the street. But that's tough. If we say no to everything then our great grandchildren will have no power.
"Our lights are going to go out."
Councillor Chris Schofield said he believed the electricity lines should be placed underground.
Councillors voted to object to the pylons with Councillors Benyon and Kerr voting against the motion.
See also: Cables will go underground where needed, says National Grid boss
