May 8, 2011
Wales

Shropshire CPRE joins protest over pylons

Shropshire Star, www.shropshirestar.com 8 May 2011

The Shropshire Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England has added its voice to the protests over controversial plans for new power lines from wind farms in Mid Wales.

The National Grid want to install a 400,000 volt electricity line across the Shropshire border to feed the electricity generated from the wind farms being built in mid Wales into the National Grid main line which runs north to south through Shropshire.

The CPRE has organised a meeting before its AGM at the Shrewsbury Room in the Shirehall, Shrewsbury, on Thursday at 7.30pm for those against the proposals to “discuss tactics”.

A spokesman for the group said: “The Shropshire Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England is appalled by National Grid’s proposals to install pylons and overhead transmission lines across Shropshire.”

Kinnerley Parish Council has also been asked to put the issue on its meeting agenda on May 17 by residents after more than 70 people met at Maesbrook Village Hall on Wednesday to learn about the plans.

Councillor Roger Davies, from the Maesbrook ward, attended the meeting and said people were against the proposals.

Julie Lyons, another meeting member, said people at the meeting were opposed to plans and voiced fears of property devaluation, effects on tourism and the countryside.

She said: “All present agreed it must be opposed.”

The Kinnerley Parish Council meeting will be held in the village hall on May 17 at 7.30pm.

Councillor for Nesscliffe Parish Council, David Roberts, said after its recent meeting they decided to join other parishes.

He said: “We are liaising with other parish councils and be a united voice. All parish councils will be opposed to these pylons.”

Earlier this week the Shropshire National Farmers’ Union said if the project went ahead it would have to be underground.

The 400kV connection would run from a new substation built at either Cefn Coch and Abermule and take one of 10 suggested routes to feed into the National Grid at either Lower Frankton or Wigmarsh, near Oswestry, or Walford Heath, near Baschurch.

A National Grid spokesman said no detailed route had yet been chosen.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/05/08/shropshire-cpre-joins-protest-over-pylons/