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Just say no - help us fight Powys power madness

Published date: 08 April 2011 |
Published by: Richard Jones

 

THE County Times has teamed up with Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies to campaign against controversial proposals put forward by National Grid to build a 20-acre electricity substation in Mid Wales.

The Welsh Assembly Government’s commitment to using Mid Wales as a site for windfarm development means Montgomeryshire’s grid connection lacks sufficient capacity.

Therefore the amount of electricity produced by a number of proposed windfarm developments will require the creation of not only a large substation but also a number of new power lines to carry electricity across Montgomeryshire and to the national grid.

But with residents asked to decide whether the substation should be built in Abermule or Cefn Coch, the County Times has launched a campaign to say enough is enough: Powys does not need this substation; Powys does not want this substation; Powys should not have this substation and the subsequent miles of power lines forced upon us by people who care nothing for the county and the beautiful landscape within. No to Abemule. No to Cefn Coch. It’s not one or the other, it’s neither.


To play your part in the campaign simply complete the form on page 4 of this week's County Times and post it back to us at: Powys says NO to substation, County Times, 11C Broad Street, Welshpool, Powys, SY21 7LE.

Once we have collected all the forms we will present them to Glyn Davies, who has promised to present them to the Chair of the Petitions Committee at Westminster and to the National Assembly for Wales, along with the then new Assembly Member for Montgomeryshire, in mid-May.

MP Glyn Davies has described the proposal as ‘madness’ and urged the public to ‘fight the plans to the bitter end’.

He said: “We must fight the proposals to the bitter end, hoping that common sense will prevail. Abermule is a thriving community and the Vyrnwy Valley is one of the most beautiful in Britain.

“If this abomination goes ahead, the National Assembly for Wales will never be forgiven.

“I urge all County Times readers to get behind this campaign and return these forms, along with your comments, back to the news desk as soon as possible.

“I will them present them to the Chair of the Petitions Committee at Westminster and go to Cardiff, with the new AM for this area, whoever that may be, and present them at the National Assembly for Wales.”

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  1. Posted by: sam.. at 13:38 on 08 April 2011 Report

    and the conservatives have just pushed through legislation to allow applications as this to go ahead to meet renewable energy targets. This is what you voted for when you elected Glyn. he pulled the wool over your eyes for personal gain

  2. Posted by: nightlite at 16:05 on 09 April 2011 Report

    Welcome to Tory Britain. Just like the Bad old days!

  3. Posted by: sam.. at 20:45 on 09 April 2011 Report

    The conservatives are using this as a welsh election issue when the decisions will be made in London not Cardiff! Glyn has sent the public barking up the wrong tree again. They had the perfect chance to put their views across at the public consultations but instead Glyn rounded up an army to protest at everything and that will get them nowhere thanks to Tory legislation

  4. Posted by: Jonathan at 21:26 on 10 April 2011 Report

    Re. the previous comments from Sam & Nightlite - instead of just slagging off Glyn Davies and trying to turn this into another pointless party political slanging match, why don't you get off your backsides and join the fight to stop the most destructive and disgraceful thing that has ever threatened Mid Wales? We will all suffer if this goes ahead, no matter which party you support.

  5. Posted by: sam.. at 21:33 on 10 April 2011 Report

    I'm trying! The hub will go ahead. it's just a case of where! but the organised protests are taking peoples eyes off the cause and by fighting a losing case, if they are not careful. they will give the green light to pylons by not complying. They have a chance to fight for underground cables but now they are fighting a cause which can not be reversed because of uk gov targets on renewable energy production

  6. Posted by: sam.. at 21:35 on 10 April 2011 Report

    I'm trying! The hub will go ahead. it's just a case of where! but the organised protests are taking peoples eyes off the cause and by fighting a losing case, if they are not careful. they will give the green light to pylons by not complying. They have a chance to fight for underground cables but now they are fighting a cause which can not be reversed because of uk gov targets on renewable energy production

  7. Posted by: Charles Turpin at 06:58 on 11 April 2011 Report

    I do not consent to the destruction of the Montgomeryshire landscape for the sake of a mere dribble of electricity and the egos of a bunch of B-grade mini-politicians chasing loony EU targets. Not to mention the fat profits for a greedy few at the expense of the community as a whole. The County Times and Glyn Davies MP are to be applauded for leading the people of Montgomeryshire in their fight against this wholly unnecessary threat.

  8. Posted by: Charles Turpin at 07:28 on 11 April 2011 Report

    It is perfectly possible for government policy to be reversed if enough people protest. Remember the poll tax, for example? These arbitrarily imposed EU targets have already lost credibility around Europe, and the Netherlands and Spain have already slashed the subsidies. It’s time for the same common sense to prevail here.

  9. Posted by: nightlite at 21:15 on 13 April 2011 Report

    Poll tax? Yeah that was a complete U-turn, Council Tax is a completely different thing, huh?! Government policy is never reversed and never has been, it's simply repurposed or renamed and the public fall for that BS every single time!

  10. Posted by: Charles Turpin at 13:29 on 14 April 2011 Report

    There was a big government U-turn recently on the sell-off of public forests. Some of the policy might creep back, but not very much; particularly if people are vigilant and keep protesting. TAN 8 is as bad as the forest sell-off or worse, and should go the same way.

  11. Posted by: glascwm@gmail.com at 08:57 on 15 April 2011 Report

    Why deface our beautiful countryside when the underground,out of sight alternative can be used and SHOULD BE USED. I realise there is an additional cost,the pylon answer is a short term gain,but these are eyesores left for future generations to endure. The Energy Companies make colossal profits ,they are not our poor cousins, give this enormous thought . DO NOT DESTROY OUR GOD GIVEN BEAUTY FOR SHORT TERM GAIN.

  12. Posted by: xanadutheblue at 12:27 on 15 April 2011 Report

    I've lived in West Sussex before I came to Montgomeryshire. Both landscapes are equally magnificent. The part of West Sussex that I know is now a National Park. Montgomeryshire borders the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Why is this part of Mid-Wales not granted AONB status, so such a development is prohibited!

  13. Posted by: xanadutheblue at 12:31 on 15 April 2011 Report

    Don't write off concerns about defiling a potential AONB as being those of mere Nimbies!! Just read the definition of an AONB. This landscape and all the traditional activities therein are a priceless heritage, worth far more than mere economic 'development'! And, yes, I know about green power... another post...

  14. Posted by: xanadutheblue at 12:43 on 15 April 2011 Report

    The only justification for developments like this is the need for green energy. The answer is to develop wind farms offshore. This of course is more expensive, but - has this alternative been accurately costed out? How much more? Won't the huge profits in the energy industry cover it? If they will, why are we defiling something beyond price for the sake of greed? If they won't we need to see the figures and that the powerc ompanies are making a geniune attempt at a reasonable compromise?

  15. Posted by: xanadutheblue at 12:54 on 15 April 2011 Report

    Ah, of course, underground cables! Two acceptable alternatives, not one!!! Now let's see facts and figures about just why the energy companies can't possibly afford underground cables with the huge profits they make??? This loathsome blight on our priceless countryside just means bigger profits for a minority, at the expense of a big majority!

  16. Posted by: xanadutheblue at 12:59 on 15 April 2011 Report

    The energy companies proposed a ridiculous route for transporting their turbines through Montgomery. The People won! The government proposed selling off the forests. The People won! Now we need to go on to win again!

  17. Posted by: JaneW at 15:25 on 17 April 2011 Report

    Can anyone explain why the proposed size of the Hub proposed for mid-Wales is 20 acres. The hub at Oswestry is only approximately 4 acres (slightly less if my calculations are correct). This is situated on the outskirts near to the A5, not near any residential area at all.

  18. Posted by: bluemere2 at 17:27 on 17 April 2011 Report

    National Grid have kept quiet about the possibility of using Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) in their Montgomeryshire substation. This would reduce the size of the substation to about a quarter of what they are currently proposing. But of course, GIS is more expensive to them - so their profits would be hit.

  19. Posted by: bluemere2 at 17:28 on 17 April 2011 Report

    National Grid have kept quiet about the possibility of using Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) in their Montgomeryshire substation. This would reduce the size of the substation to about a quarter of what they are currently proposing. But of course, GIS is more expensive to them - so their profits would be hit.

  20. Posted by: bluemere2 at 17:51 on 17 April 2011 Report

    National grid have kept quiet about the review they are conducting into putting power lines underground. See www.nationalgridundergrounding.com. The outcome, to be published in a few months, could help the case for putting new 400kV lines underground in sensitive areas like Montgomeryshire. However, any delay in their plans for Mid Wales would cost them money, so they want to go ahead with plans for overhead lines now.

  21. Posted by: sam.. at 01:30 on 29 April 2011 Report

    A bunch of NIMBY's! The reversed policies you talk about are ones that were just talked about and were not policies! . The UK goals for reducing carbon emissions etc are 15 plus years into practice and on paper, it is working. They aren't going to do a u turn on this

 

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