Battle lines are drawn on village power plant

Broad Energy wants to build an 'energy recovery facility' at Buttington Quarry near Welshpool, that would see up to 150,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste transformed into low-cost, low-carbon electricity, and create 35 jobs in the county.

However, after initial meetings, residents in Trewern and surrounding villages have clubbed together to fight the plans, and have launched the Buttington Incinerator Impact Group (BiIG).

A spokeswoman for the group said the incinerator would have detrimental health impacts on the area, and the group will fight against the plans.

She said: "Our leaflet outlining the potential health and environmental implications has been delivered to all properties in the community as well as to a number in Welshpool that we believe would be adversely impacted. We have provided copies of our leaflet to all Welshpool councillors and made them available at key points in the town.

“In particular, we are concerned that our local primary school in Trewern would be directly affected by emissions.

"As well as the likely adverse health impact of incinerator emissions, there is the issue of the visual intrusion on what is essentially a rural landscape with a distinctive ecology, wildlife and natural beauty.

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“This is not about providing cheap electricity to local residents – that is most unlikely in practice. More to the point, the proposed incinerator is about creating a huge blot on our rural landscape.”

Previously Alistair Hilditch-Brown, Chief Executive of the Broad Group, said the plans could help Powys become the first ‘green’ county in Wales and be a leader in green energy.

But the new group think otherwise, and are not happy that Powys County Council would simply be a consultee, and the decision on the build would be made by the Welsh Government.

The spokeswoman added: "Whilst we appreciate that we need to diversify sources of energy, burning other people’s rubbish in our rural villages cannot be seen as a sensible option, not least when the health of our children could be jeopardised.

"We believe very simply that this is the wrong thing in the wrong place."