Protecting our Landscape from Large Scale Pylons
Updated: March 2025
Many will remember previous large-scale windfarm proposals of over a decade ago, where communities reacted in force against the total lack of consideration and empathy for residents and landscapes shown by the National Grid and developers. It is vital that renewable energy companies ensure that they take communities with them, rather than imposing projects upon Mid Wales.
A company called Green GEN Cymru has proposed to develop a 132 kV electricity distribution connection to connect proposed wind farms in Powys to the existing national electricity transmission network in Shropshire. The company is holding a statutory consultation on its Vyrnwy Frankton project which started on 19 February, and runs until 16 April 2025.
The Project comprises a 132 kV collector substation near Cefn Coch, Powys, and approximately 45km of new overhead line on steel lattice pylons (average height of 28.5m) across areas of the Vyrnwy Valley in North Powys, to a switching station connecting to the national electricity network near Lower Frankton, Shropshire.
It is vital that, as our power needs increase and more renewable power sources come online (such as farm scale renewables), that we do have improved grid connections. My concern is that the proposed line would do little to help such projects in Mid Wales.
Welsh Ministers have previously stated to me that Welsh Government’s policy is that transmission lines should be underground opposed to overground. However Welsh Government guidance states that a balanced view must be taken against costs which would render otherwise acceptable projects unviable. During February (2025), I asked the First Minister to explore the undergrounding of electricity transmission cables. I questioned the First Minister on why undergrounding remains largely dismissed as financially unviable when countries such as Germany and the Netherlands have successfully implemented policies requiring the undergrounding of similar size power lines. I have been calling on Welsh Government for some time to update its Planning Policy Wales document so that the undergrounding of new infrastructure for conveying electricity should be an absolute rather than a preferred position, and that the policy should state ‘New power lines should be laid underground’.
The proposed pylon line is being driven by several wind energy developers who are proposing large scale wind farm developments throughout Mid Wales. I have significant concerns about many of the schemes, with some developers proposing to build wind turbines up to 230 metres in areas of currently unspoiled landscape. Using huge offshore scale turbines onshore is not appropriate, and the industrialisation of our landscape with large-scale windfarms and pylons criss-crossing Mid Wales hills and valleys is not acceptable.
I continue to meet with and work closely with Montgomeryshire Against Pylons (MAP) and I’d encourage people to attend events and respond to the consultation. If you agree with my views, and the views of MAP, I would also encourage you to sign up to their newsletter by visiting https://www.montgomeryshireagainstpylons.co.uk/