National Grid has admitted it has had to extend its timetable for planned pylons and a 20 acre sub station in Montgomeryshire until at least 2015 during a meeting with Montgomeryshire AM, Russell George, as well as admitting the cost of burying the cables is only three times the overhead cost.
The company behind plans for the massive pylons stretching through the area and for the massive sub station says it timetable for a final decision on the plans will take it to 2015 and any work will start after that.
The news followed a meeting between Mr George and the company. "As I expected, the meeting with National Grid achieved very little. I thought there was a glimmer of hope at the start of the meeting when one official told me that 'National Grid want to do what society wants them to do'. But as the meeting continued, their consistent line of defence was that they are contractually obliged to continue promoting their destructive proposals," said Mr George.
"I told them in no uncertain terms that I am totally against their proposals and I would do everything in my power to stop them."
Mr George revealed that more than 6,000 people and organisations have responded to National Grid's consultation on the issue. He added: "There were some positives from the meeting, National Grid conceded that their delivery timetable has had to be greatly extended and now they are looking to 2015 for a final decision with construction to follow. They also clarified the cost of undergrounding the cable should it be built. Previously we had been given all sorts of costs but the reality is that the cost of undergrounding would be just three times the cost of over-grounding the pylons.
"I did learn that there were over 6,000 people who had responded to its consultation process. Given the rurality of our area, I felt that was a staggering number for a single consultation and just shows the strength of felling on the issue."
He said: "I was also greatly reassured by National Grid's confirmation that decisions relating to the 20 acre sub-station will definitely be taken
in Wales - by Powys County Council and the Welsh Government (if appealed).
"However, what was clear from the meeting was that whatever the Welsh Government have publically said about not wanting over-ground pylons, this has no legal basis. National Grid said they would continue to be guided by developer need and Government planning policy, which just proves how crucial a review of TAN 8 is."
