Power cables in Radnorshire should be buried as in the Cotswolds, says MP
Power cables in Radnorshire should be buried as in the Cotswolds
Last week, the Welsh Affairs Committee examined renewable energy in Wales.
As part of the discussion, I raised the importance of ensuring that local communities do not feel ‘bludgeoned’ into accepting renewable energy projects against their will and highlighted that this is how many people in Powys currently feel about the proposals for large pylons across our county.
In other parts of the UK such as the Cotswolds, pylons are being taken down by the National Grid and replaced with underground energy cables in order to protect the natural landscape. I asked the panel: if this can be done in the Cotswolds why is it not possible for big developers to do the same in Mid Wales?
And it is not only the Cotswolds where this approach has taken off; in Denmark all new power cables across the entire country will be placed underground and existing pylons will be taken down by 2040.
Our pristine countryside and natural environment in Mid Wales is not just of sentimental value for local residents, but also of huge economic value, underpinning an entire tourist industry and its wider supply chain. Overground infrastructure could undermine iconic views, dotted with Grade 1 listed buildings, castles, steeped in Welsh heritage and history.
Both myself and my colleague in the Senedd, Jane Dodds, have been calling for the undergrounding of all power cables in Mid Wales, as is happening in the Cotswolds and Denmark. Unfortunately, the Welsh Labour Government have so far refused to listen to the demands to place cables underground.
Both Jane Dodds and I will continue to push them to change course. If burying cables underground is practical in the Cotswolds, there is no reason why our precious countryside in Mid Wales should not be afforded the same protection.
Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe MP David Chadwick.
