Pylons protesters unite outside Welsh Assembly

Tuesday 24th May 2011, 2:21PM BST.

National Grid pylon protesters in Cardiff today

Communities from across Shropshire and Mid Wales united on the steps of the Welsh Assembly earlier today as part of their fight to prevent windfarms, pylons and a 19-acre substation from being built.

More the 1,500 people came together in an attempt to send out a clear message to politicians.

Dozens of coaches from Montgomeryshire and parts of Shropshire arrived outside the Welsh Assembly’s Senedd headquarters in Cardiff.

Hundreds of 50-metre high pylons could be built across Shropshire and Mid Wales. National Grid bosses also want to build a major electricity substation.

Russell George, AM for Montgomeryshire, who was at today’s protest, said: “This demonstration is a show of strength from the people of Mid Wales.”

Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies, who today handed a petition containing more than 13,000 signatures to the Welsh Assembly’s petition committee, said: “I’m taken aback, overwhelmed and emotional by how many people are here.”

1
hilltop

May 27, 2011 at 07:30

Having watched Glyn Davies MP being interviewed on television during lunchtime outside the Senedd I’m sure the wind was too strong for any of the attended mass to hear his statement that some more (wind farms) will go ahead in Mid Wales. Do I suspect a repositioning on this matter?

Report abuse
2
sam

May 30, 2011 at 09:26

The anti wind protesters are trying to convince people that the assembly want 100% of our future energy needs to come from wind power. This will not be the case.
The UK never has, nor never will rely on one form of energy production.
The UK currently relies on 40% gas, 30% coal, 16 – 19% nuclear to generate our electricity. (oil and renewables make up the remainder)

Here are some facts. Oil, gas, coal are fossil fuels that are running out. We are having to rely on importing these fossil fuels from insecure countries. We are fighting wars in oil rich countries for our own need for oil. This all factors into the rising cost of our utility bills. A 15% increase this year alone.

Nuclear power stations are coming to the end of their working lives with ten new ones being built. This comes at a cost. £80billion to decommission the old stations (a cost that is rising all the time) each new nuclear plant takes the best part of a decade to build. Each one will cost £5billion pounds. The same design that the UK will use is currently three years behind schedule and £2billion over budget already in Finland. Even if the 3rd generation nuclear stations came in on budget, thats a baragin price of £50 billion pounds. This does not factor in the cost for the safe disposal of harmful nuclear waste or the above mentioned decommissioning costs. We will all be paying for this through our utility bills. And in another 40 years when these come to be re-built, we will pay for it all again! Bearing this in mind, the new generation of nuclear stations will only account for 20 – 25% of our energy needs.

We will use a vast mix for our future energy needs. Renewable will play an important role. Montgomeryshire has it’s part to play in providing for energy security. ALL forms of renewables must be embraced and that includes all wind farms, the associated infrastructure (which can, and should be placed underground) and also nuclear.

Adopting a NIMBY attitude, will not make the problem of energy security go away. It is a real problem, and the sooner the Montgomeryshire MP, AM and all the campaigners realize this, the better.

Report abuse