April 15, 2013
England, Wales

100 MPs to fight wind turbine schemes

Shropshire Star | April 15, 2013 | www.shropshirestar.comShropshire Star | April 15, 2013 | www.shropshirestar.com

More than 100 MPs have joined forces to fight national plans to build wind turbines that would see pylons spring up across Shropshire and Mid Wales.

The MPs will oppose all wind turbine applications as a group rather than just focusing on isssues affecting their own individual constituencies.

Glyn Davies, MP for Montgomeryshire, who is leading the fight against plans for pylons linking windfarms in Mid Wales to the main electricity network in Shropshire, said more than 100 MPs had agreed to work together.

The National Grid wants to build a 400,000-volt electricity line across the Shropshire border to feed electricity generated from windfarms sited in Mid Wales, into the national power network.

Its proposed route is from an electricity substation at Cefn Coch, west of Welshpool, via Llansantffraid, south of Llanymynech and Oswestry, to Lower Frankton where it would join the main grid.

Mr Davies said: “More and more MPs are seeing the devastating impact of on-shore windfarms and the effect they are having on their constituencies. More than 100 are totally opposed to them.

“I am frustrated with Government because they are not listening to the people. It’s outrageous the problems they are causing, along with the National Grid.

Mr Davies added: “The plans could see another 500 to 600 turbines built in Wales, to go with the 300 that have already been built.

“The scale of the scheme is outrageous. Many people have some sympathy for renewable energy, including me, but because of the size of it I am determined to fight it.”

A spokesman for the Department for Energy and Climate Change, said: “The coalition supports the development of all forms of renewable energy, as long as it is appropriately sited. We are also looking at how communities can be better engaged with, and receive greater benefit from, hosting onshore wind in their area.”


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/04/15/100-mps-to-fight-wind-turbine-schemes/