FEARS that culverts under the streets of Welshpool will not stand up to heavy vehicles transporting windfarm equipment through the town are still concerning town councillors.
“I wasn’t happy about the question of the weight of vehicles and the effect on culverts.
“I can’t see one of these lorries getting by the Raven without damaging the culvert,” said former mayor Councillor Ann Holloway.
She also said she was concerned at reports that windfarms, anyway, are said not to be working in Denmark and the Netherlands.
The council is continuing to oppose developments in Mid Wales that would need convoys of heavy traffic being brought through the town despite being told it is a losing battle.
Consideration has been given to the Tyrgwint scheme and planning chairman Cllr John Meredith said: “They are definitely going through Welshpool, although numbers have dropped from 22 to 12 turbines with the smaller blades 116 metres high.
“If these 12 turbines were let through Welshpool it wouldn’t set a precedent for any other turbines they categorically said.
“It would be 1.5 vehicles a week taking 10 minutes to go through Welshpool although I question that as it took more than 30 minutes on the test run.
“They say signs and other items on the street would be removed would bring the time down to 10 minutes, Police would stop the traffic and there would be a total of 72 abnormal loads.
“They have looked at the ideas of doing it at night and are still looking at the best time of day to go through Welshpool. These are the smallest loads we would get.”
Cllr Meredith added that there is an assurance that any culverts and properties under possible threat in the town would be tested before any transportation is allowed through.
But Cllr Steven Kaye said: “It’s a foregone conclusion. We are going to have them through here whether we like it or not. What little Welshpool may say they will take no notice of because the government has already made its mind up and we can’t do a thing about it.
And Mayor Estelle Bleivas said: “I for one will not be prepared to turn over and just let it happen.”
Cllr Holloway said: “To be fair to Powys planning officers, they are being dictated to by the Welsh Assembly Government on windfarms.”
But she added: “Llanfair Caereinion are asking for a public inquiry over their highway concerns and I think they are going to get one.”