January 24, 2012
England, Wales

Pylons decision still not reached

Published by: Robert Doman, Advertizer, www.bordercountiesadvertizer.co.uk 24 January 2012

A decision on whether or not huge electricity pylons will appear on the Marches skyline is still to be reached.

National Grid opened public consultation on the matter almost a year ago, but admit they are not ready to make an announcement, upon which many people are waiting with baited breath.

There has been a huge outcry over the plans to construct a swathe of 48-metre high pylons on a route from a proposed electricity substation, in either Abermule or Cefn Coch, to one of three link up points between Lower Frankton to Walford Heath which would eventually marry one of three potential Powys wind farms to the existing Wrexham-Shrewsbury transmission line.

National Grid say they are sifting their way though almost 7,000 consultation replies from local governing bodies and members of the public, but despite originally promising an outcome in the Autumn, the power giant says the future course of its Mid Wales Connection Project is still uncertain.

A spokesperson for National Grid said: “We have not finished our analysis of the feedback we received during the consultation process.

“To ensure we do this means any decisions may take longer than originally planned,” they added.

The company are deciding which of 10 proposed routes the power lines could take in a move which many say would decimate the area’s skyline.

The plans have riled residents, councillors, and MPs alike in both North Shropshire and Montgomeryshire, and campaign groups have taken to social networking site, Facebook, in a bid to coordinate their efforts.

Hundreds of protesters marched on the Welsh National Assembly building in Cardiff last year to oppose the project, but with no outcome revealed by National Grid, hope is mounting that an alternative to overground cabling can be found.

Pylons protester Mick McKenna, who created the ‘North Shropshire Says No to Pylons’ Facebook page, said: “I don’t know whether the lack of a decision relates to the fact Wales’ First Minister has also spoken out against the pylons.

“People’s efforts to sell property in the area are being held up by the lack of a decision too.

“The wait is frustrating although I hope this could mean another solution to the pylons is being sought,” he added.