Protest over Newtown windfarm bid

Anti-windfarm campaigners are to stage a protest when Powys planners meet in Welshpool this week to consider the county's latest controversial scheme.

Fears that heavy lorries carrying huge turbine components to the site of the proposed Tirgwynt Wind Farm, near Carno, Newtown, will create serious problems in the town have sparked the protest, for Thursday.

Protesters will gather at 1.30pm outside the meeting, which is taking place at Neuadd Maldwyn, the county council's offices in Severn Street, Welshpool, waving banners and placards against the plans.

Welshpool mayor, Estelle Bleivas, said today the action was just the latest in a series of protests members of the local anti-windfarm transportation group had been staging to highlight the potential problems on the county's roads.

"Protests against the amount of windfarms planned for Montgomeryshire and the thousands of lorries that would be going through Welshpool and other places like Llanfair Caereinion and Cefn Coch, if they get planning permission for sites like Tirgwynt, have been going on for over a year now.

"We believe - and the public backed us overwhelmingly at a public meeting - that this would cause a huge amount of damage to the tourist industry.

"And it's not just windfarm sites but the number of lorries carrying cement and turbine parts as well as workers that would cause damage to the infrastructure of our towns," she said.

She added people in Welshpool were particularly concerned damage would be caused to the historic buildings in Broad Street as well as sewers, gas and water pipes under the roads.

"We are also very worried that these big loads will cause total traffic blockages in the town that would mean emergency vehicles couldn't get through.

"This could be the case for anything between three and 25 years if these plans go ahead," she said.

The application to be considered by Powys County Planning Committee on Thursday is from developers Awel Newydd, based in Mold, for the construction of 12 wind turbine generators.

Planning officials are recommending approval, subject to conditions.

By Andrew Morris