Will Mid Wales farmers be allowed to have their voices heard in legal challenge against energy company behind major pylon plans?

More than 300 farmers and landowners under the Justice for Wales banner are hoping to take legal action against Green GEN Cymru, accusing the company of unlawfully forcing access onto private farmland for its proposed power line schemes.

The legal claim, filed by specialist firm New South Law, alleges that Green GEN and its land agents have acted “coercively and unlawfully” while attempting to enter properties to carry out surveys for three major overhead pylon routes spanning more than 200km across Powys, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.

The families claim Green GEN’s land agents have entered land without permission, damaged environments, disturbed protected wildlife, pulled their lives into long stressful legal battles, ignored rights and put their livelihoods at risk.

They say the legal challenge is about their homes, livelihoods, their children’s futures and their land.

Mrs Justice Jefford at The Cardiff Civil Justice Centre will hear arguments directly from barristers on Tuesday and decide whether the case meets the criteria to proceed to a full Judicial Review hearing.

This is part of the “permission phase” of proceedings.

Justice for Wales, the community-led coalition, said the case offers the chance to pause and look at the bigger picture and ask whether these it is right, lawful and fair that these projects are pushed through across Wales.

If the Judicial Review goes ahead, it won’t decide individual schemes but it will shine a light on the practices behind them — including whether land access is lawful, rights are respected, and nature is properly protected.

Justice for Wales need to raise £30,000 for the Judicial Review and almost £20,000 has already been raised.

A spokesperson for the group said; “Since the Judicial Review was issued, important progress has been made.Survey activity across all three projects was paused for two months between November and January 5, over 21,000 pages of disclosure were forced and are now being reviewed and GreenGEN changed parts of its approach, including revised notices and published protocols

“These improvements came from people standing together and insisting on lawful process.

“We have been granted “Aarhus protection”, which limits our exposure to the other side’s costs to £25,000, but we must still fund our own legal team, court fees, and the extensive work required to present the case properly.”

They have set up a fundraising appeal and to donate visit https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/justice-for-wales/ or https://cprw.org.uk/fighting-for-fairness-in-rural-wales.../

Natalie Barstow, the lead claimant and founder of the Justice for Wales campaign group, said the High Court action was a last resort.

“We’ve been left with no choice but to take legal action to stop what feels like a bullying campaign,” she said. “People feel panicked, powerless, and afraid of being arrested for protecting their own land. This is not how responsible renewable development should be done.”

Mary Smith, solicitor at New South Law, said the case “raises fundamental questions about accountability in the UK’s renewable-energy transition.”

“Holding Acquiring Authority powers brings a legal obligation to act lawfully and reasonably,” she said. “It does not allow companies to pursue commercial objectives through oppressive means.”

A Green GEN Cymru spokesperson said: “Green GEN Cymru awaits the decision of the court and remains committed to delivering infrastructure that is critical to meeting the challenges of the UKs energy future and to building a robust, reliable energy network which enables people across Wales to benefit from a more secure energy future.”