Shropshire Star

MP Glyn Davies calls for clarity on Shropshire and Mid Wales windfarm project

Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies will write to National Grid today to ask what the 'trigger point' is for a controversial large-scale windfarm project to go ahead through Shropshire and Mid Wales.

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Mr Davies said there were originally six projects – five windfarms and an overhead power line connection – in the proposed Mid Wales Connection Project (MWCP).

And he believes that the project, which has been put on hold, shouldn't go ahead now at all because there is no need for it and no subsidies are available to support it.

Mr Davies said: "National Grid has refused to tell us what commitment to connect there must be from windfarm operators to trigger building of the 400Kv line from Shropshire to Cefn Coch in mid Montgomeryshire.

"No windfarm can commit without planning permission, of course. We have faced point blank refusal to disclose a trigger point. And Ofgem, giving evidence seemed both surprised and unimpressed by this blatant lack of transparency."

As part of the project a strategic Traffic Management Plan for Mid Wales windfarms was developed to manage the delivery of turbine components from Ellesmere Port to the Strategic Search Areas (SSA) in Mid Wales, passing through Wrexham, Chester, Oswestry, Newtown and Welshpool.

Mr Davies said: "There will be a degree of disturbance from Tirgwynt Wind Farm but it won't involve the vast coverage of Mid Wales by turbines which is what I and most people I know in Montgomeryshire are against.

"The same applies to the Garreg Lwyd Hill Wind Farm which is located between Felindre and Llanbadarn Fynydd in Radnorshire.

"These windfarms are nothing like as threatening to the area as the MWCP, the scale of which has always been unsuitable, unfair and would cause damage to the area.

"There are no subsidies for windfarms and I don't think the MWCP will go ahead."

Sara Powell-Davies, communications manager for RenewableUK Cymru, said the delivery vehicles for Tirgwynt Wind Farm will consist of an articulated vehicle and extendable trailer designed for the transportation of wind turbines, with a blade length of approximately 45 metres and tower section width of 4.5 metres.

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