Concerns over wind turbine transport plans
Wednesday 23rd June 2010, 11:41AM BST.
Controversial plans to transport wind turbine blades and towers through Shropshire and Mid Wales are being tested – sparking anger from many councillors.
A lorry towing huge tower sections up to 150 feet long with a police escort will travel along the A483 in Newtown later today before going through the main streets of Welshpool tomorrow.
Monday saw lorries going past Oswestry and through the villages of Pant and Llanymynech and onto Welshpool, Newtown and Kerry on the A489.
The Welsh Assembly Government said trial runs for the movement of special loads for windfarm construction would be running through Mid Wales and across the border up until Friday.
Last year, a report warned that “significant disruption” could be caused by taking turbines by road.
Welshpool Town Council said the idea of holding trial runs was a waste of time because in reality it would be a lot worse.
Robert Robinson, council clerk, said: “They are running these trials with just one lorry when in reality three will have to travel together. They have already undertaken a trial for the blades and it took them 20 minutes just to get one lorry from one end of Welshpool to the other. I dread to think what it’s going to be like when we have more.”
The Welsh Assembly Government said delays to other road users would be kept to a minimum but could not give exact times of when the lorries would arrive at each destination.
An assembly government spokesman said: “The trial runs are needed so that windfarm developers can prepare traffic management plans for the movement of windfarm components to sites in Mid Wales.”
UK News
Most Commented
- Clampdown on Shrewsbury chuggers
- Bishop's gay marriage views do nothing to support bible teachings
- Planners ordered to stay on Newport visit bus
- Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
- Letter: Alcohol price plans annoy me
- Shrewsbury’s broadband speed one of slowest in UK
- Letter: No sense in overseas job adverts
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
The simple solution to this is to build nuclear power stations at Pant, Llanymynech, Welshpool and Newtown and avoid the need to transport the blades and towers.
Report abuse