May 31, 2011
England, Wales

Public urged to sign anti-windfarm petition

By Anwen Evans, Shropshire Star, www.shropshirestar.com 30 May 2011

Residents throughout Shropshire and Mid Wales are being urged to sign an e-Petition in the campaign to force the Government to re-think its policy on windfarms.

The Welsh Assembly has agreed to host the e-Petition called “Say No to Tan 8 – Windfarms and High Voltage Power Lines Spoiling our Community” on its own website.

The petition, which has already attracted more than 1,200 signatures, will close on June 17.

Campaigners are also urging people living in Shrewsbury to fill in National Grid consultation documents about the company’s proposals to possibly route overhead lines through parts of the county and Mid Wales.

Clive Young, a spokesman for Montford Against Pylons, explained the group wanted to encourage people to give their views on the issue, even though the possible routes would not pass through Shrewsbury.

“We have Shrewsbury on our doorstep and we see ourselves as living in Shrewsbury,” he said.

Voice

“I would say to people in the town that it might not be going through your back garden but it is still on your doorstep. You have a voice and you should use that voice.”

Mr Young said he hoped to see plenty of people at a meeting with National Grid officials and chaired by Shrewsbury and Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski at Montford Parish Hall on June 6. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7pm.

It comes weeks after National Grid bosses said they would be holding consultation events to find a potential route for a 400,000 volt cable using 46m high pylons.

Two locations at Cefn Coch or Abermule have been identified as sites for an electricity substation and 10 routes have been suggested for power lines tapping into the National Grid at either Welsh Frankton, Wigmarsh or another location.

Consultation on the plans, which are to help transfer power from planned windfarms in Powys, started in March and will end next month.

Thousands of protesters have already marched to the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff to protest against the proposals and attempt to get Assembly Members to change the Government’s policy on windfarms, better known as the Welsh Assembly Government Technical Advice Note 8.

To sign the petition visit www.assemblywales.org/gethome/e-petitions/sign-petition.htm (English) or http://www.cynulliadcymru.org/gethome/e-petitions/sign-petition.htm (Welsh)

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/05/31/public-urged-to-sign-anti-windfarm-petition/