May 24, 2011
Wales

Hundreds in pylon protest to MP

www.bordercountiesadvertizer.co.uk 17 May 2011

North Shropshire MP, Owen Paterson, has received hundreds of letters concerning National Grid’s plans to erect huge electricity pylons to the south of Oswestry.

Peter Bryant, area director for the power giant, last week said saying ‘no’ to the pylons was not an option despite opposition group plans to take their fight to the Welsh Assembly Government.

Campaigners from several villages in the Oswestry area made the trip to a meeting at Trefeglwys Memorial Hall, in Powys, last Thursday, to protest against the planned 48-metre high pylons which could take one of ten routes from proposed wind farm substations in either Cefn Coch or Abermule, through a ten-mile wide corridor between Oswestry and Walford Heath, near Baschurch.

Mr Paterson, pictured above, said: “I have been getting lots of letters about this and have had meetings with National Grid and Shropshire Council.
Underground costings
“I can totally understand people’s viewpoints and I want to explore the cost of having these power lines buried underground,” he added.

With the 400,000 volt lines threatening to carve up the landscape, Montgomeryshire MP, Glyn Davies, last month urged the public to fight the “horrific” plans to the bitter end, but, Mr Bryant told members of Powys County Council’s Montgomeryshire committee: “No is not an option for National Grid.
“If people come back with a ‘no’ response to everything it does not mean the whole thing will go away. It is not an option on the table for us to consider.”

The National Grid recently opted to extend the period set aside for its consultation events after residents in some areas complained they had not received such events in their area despite proposed routes passing close to their homes.

Michael McKenna, who lives on the proposed Wigmarsh route, attended the meeting in Trefeglwys along with other Wigmarsh residents, and said: “I wouldn’t want my children living anywhere near the lines.
“I don’t know how many people understand how devastating the power lines will be.
“They will desecrate the whole area and spoil tourism, as well as having a health issue too.
“We are all trying to speak with one voice. They managed to force power lines underground in Spain, so why not here,” he added.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/05/24/hundreds-in-pylon-protest-to-mp/