A growing number of landowners are being tempted to build giant windfarms on their estates by the promise of tens of millions of pounds being offered by green energy developers, it was claimed today.

Montgomeryshire Against Pylons (MAP), an action group fighting plans which could see hundreds of pylons built across Shropshire and Mid Wales, said an increasing number of people were being encouraged to build windfarms.

Jonathan Wilkinson, from Meifod, who is chairman of the group, said landowners were being offered millions of pounds for turbines to be built on their land.

It comes after National Grid bosses launched consultation events across the region to discuss routes for a 400,000-volt cable linking windfarms in Powys to the grid.

The cable will go along 46 metre-high pylons or be routed underground but National Grid has said that no decision will be made until the new year.

The plans include a power station being built in either Abermule, near Newtown, or Cefn Coch, near Llanfair Caereinion.

Scottish Power Energy Networks is also consulting on plans to connect up to 700MW of new renewable energy generation from at least 10 windfarms in Mid Wales.

Mr Wilkinson said National Grid have compulsory purchase powers so they can put up pylons, and gain access to maintain them, anywhere.

He said: “I’m totally against these pylons and think they will have a detrimental affect on communities if they are built.

He added: “But if they end up coming through Meifod, they may possibly want to use some of my land to build them on and I will have no other choice but to comply.

“National Grid have compulsory purchase powers so they can put up pylons, and gain access to maintain them, anywhere.

“Farmers and other landowners can lengthen out the process of obtaining permission but cannot ultimately stop National Grid putting up pylons on their land.”