Protests expected at Meifod pylons meeting
Monday 11th April 2011, 11:59AM BST.
Placard-waving protesters were expected to turn out in force in a Powys village today to fight plans which could see hundreds of massive pylons built in Shropshire and Mid Wales.
Dozens of campaigners were expected to protest at a consultation event at Meifod Village Hall at 5pm.
The meeting was being held by National Grid, which wants to run a power line either underground or using pylons to link new wind farms in Mid Wales to the network.
Carol Doyle, who lives near Meifod, said: “A huge number of us, including local schoolchildren, are planning to attend the consultation event with placards between 5pm and 6pm.
“We don’t want these pylons coming through the area and intend to do everything we can to make our voices heard.”
It comes as National Grid bosses claimed installing underground cables across the Shropshire and Mid Wales countryside to link wind farms to the National Grid would cost hundreds of millions of pounds more than massive pylons.
More than 700 people have signed petitions against the plans by National Grid and have also claimed an ongoing consultation is “seriously flawed”.
Many residents attending consultation meetings say they would not be opposed to underground cables.
But Andrew Lee, project manager for National Grid, today warned that to dismiss overhead pylons completely would result in a massive cost increase.
Mr Lee said: “We have done a technical report that shows potential costs of £200m to £250m if it was overhead pylons all the way.
“To install underground cables would cost hundreds of millions of pounds more.”
l Block – See Page 14
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