Welshpool feels the heat in Energy row

 

According to Town Clerk, Robert Robinson, Welshpool’s decision to conduct a “democratic process” to decide its position has drawn blunt responses from both sides of the argument over plans to build a multi-billion pound wind energy project for Montgomeryshire.

 

And he says the communication has gone beyond an acceptable level of lobbying and even declared his opinion that Welshpool was being “leant on”.

 

From June 11, every Welshpool household will receive a survey through the letterbox asking residents to give their opinion on the proposed wind farms, substation, pylons, transport issues as well as whether they would support a public enquiry into the whole issue.

 

The answers of the survey will be counted on June 17 at the Town Hall before a formal Welshpool response is released.

 

“The council decided that we really needed to know the feeling of the people they represent before expressing a view as a whole,” said Mr Robinson. “But I have to say that the response from both sides of the argument to what we are doing is a cause for concern.

 

“The Power companies have accused us of being ‘un-democratic’ while the protest groups say we are dragging our heels. I would like to remind everyone that we rang the alarm bells nearly four years ago about the size of the proposals and we were told then that we were exaggerating and scaremongering.

 

“We are an elected body that represents the community. To do this properly we need to know exactly how the community feels. A meeting in a hall of 250 is not representative of 7,000 people.”

 

Mr Robinson insisted that the exercise is a town survey and not a poll nor a referendum and is being conducted now so that “if there is mass objection we can do something about it before Parliament goes into recess for the summer”.

 

Welshpool High School pupils have already had their say with their returned surveys locked away until the Town Hall count which will take place under the supervision of independent ex-diplomat, Ewan Macleod.