Senior councillor refutes ‘hub’ speculation

 

And the company behind the application has pointed out that it would connect to a local hub and is “not related to the nearby proposed 400kV pylon scheme”.

 

Mywelshpool asked the question yesterday whether the proposal from EDF Energy Renewables had let the cat out of the bag as a proposed pylon corridor carrying power generated from Montgomeryshire windfarms would run very close to the site.

 

But Cllr Wynne Jones refutes the speculation, claiming that power from Minsterley would have to be channelled back to a potential hub in Abermule and could not join the pylon corridor en route to the National Grid connection in Ironbridge.

 

Cllr Jones, who is also a cabinet member on Powys County Council, has been an ardent campaigner against the energy plans.

 

Last night he wrote on Facebook: “The report contained on MyTown (mywelshpool and mynewtown) or indeed 'investigations' about the possibility of a small windfarm at Minsterley, has NO bearing on the current proposals regarding the Mid Wales connection project, nor would it influence the hub being placed at Abermule.

 

“They would not want to run a line from Minsterley back to Abermule to connect to the hub. A hub at Abermule is already very, very difficult to engineer (as it needs to accommodate seven incoming lines already), to accommodate an eighth would be virtually impossible I am advised.”

 

Cllr Jones goes on to say that the announcement has been pushed back until March and also revealed that the Powys Cabinet will debate two of the six large windfarm planning applications on March 13.

 

But a spokesperson from EDF Energy Renewables clarified further that “The wind farm is not related to the nearby proposed 400kV pylon scheme and would connect to a local connection point close to the site”.

 

Energy giants ScottishPower and National Grid will choose from two proposed pylon corridors to run through Montgomeryshire with a 20-acre hub constructed at either Abermule or Cefn Coch.

 

The proposals have faced stiff local opposition and this latest plan for Minsterley could see that opposition spill across the border and into Shropshire.