Campaigners fighting to prevent thousands of lorries delivering wind turbines from “destroying” a Mid Wales town are being urged to have their say before it is too late.

Residents in Welshpool fear lorries travelling through the town every year could destroy roads, buildings and trees.

They are now being urged to attend a crunch meeting in the town tomorrow night to air their views on the controversial windfarm route, which would go through the town.

Protesters believe the route proposed by developers RES for its planned windfarm of 43 turbines between Llanerfyl, near Welshpool, and Llanbrynmair, near Machynlleth, should not be allowed. Each turbine would be 126.5m (411ft) high.

Welshpool Town Council claims the construction of the development will put the safety of residents at risk and damage the “fabric” of the historic town centre.

Council clerk Robert Robinson said a major roundabout on Welshpool’s bypass would also have to be destroyed to allow the massive turbine components to travel through the town.

Prevent

He said: “These turbines will be 126.5m high and developers want the transportation of these to come via Welshpool, Llanfair Caereinion and Llanerfyl.

“The alterations will include the roundabout being altered by the train station and we are very concerned about this.”

He said RES had been invited to attend a planning meeting in the Assembly Room at Welshpool Town Hall tomorrow at 7pm.

He said: “We have asked for the developer to attend this meeting because we want to find out more about what is going on and see what we can do to try and prevent it from destroying the town.”

Councillor John Meredith said more consultation between the developer and residents was needed.

He said: “We are disturbed by the fact that we have not been consulted on an application which requires extensive transport through the town of Welshpool.”

But he said the town may have no other choice but to accept what was going on.

A spokesman for RES was unable to comment today.

By Anwen Evans