Battle cry sounded over pylons and windfarms

21/04/2011 @ 03:18

Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies (pictured with TV's Sian Lloyd and Jane Ashley - daughter of Laura Ashley)has issued a call-to-arms for the county to take its fight against “horrific” Energy Plans right to the heart of Government, and has pledged to lead an invasion on Cardiff.

Mr Davies’s battle cry was made during an emotion charged public meeting tonight (Wednesday) in Welshpool which was attended by well over 1,000 angry residents.

And with the MP’s hard line roundly supported by the massive crowd at Welshpool Livestock Sales, TV weathergirl Sian Lloyd said the plans “raped” the local countryside and former MP Lord Carlile described them as “an insult to Welsh landscape”.

The meeting was hailed by chief organiser Richard Bonfield as “one of the biggest public meetings ever held in Montgomeryshire” and the message was clear that the wind farms simply don’t work and should be stopped.

The meeting was so big that stewards from Newtown Football Club marshalled the event to ensure its safety.

Here is a summary of what was said and by which speaker:

Glyn Davies MP

“These absolutely awful plans will desecrate our countryside. They depress me. The Welsh Assembly is trying to destroy a section of country that it should be looking after. I will lead an invasion to Cardiff to show them how much we oppose them.”

Sian Lloyd, TV weathergirl (right)

“This is the rape of our fair country. The science of wind farms is dodgy to say the very least. On some days during the cold snap they were only operating at 0.2% of their capacity. Simply put, these wind farms are an expensive disaster. They do not work. This madness has got to stop.”

Myfanwy Alexander, writer/broadcaster from Llanfair Caereinion

“These are crazy plans for vandalism which we will never forgive them for if they go ahead. It is an argument about politics and money, not wind. This is our Gdansk Shipyard and tonight has shown that we will stand together and fight.”

Jane Ashley, daughter of Laura Ashley

“We must all fight these plans together. It is not too late. To see so many people here tonight feeling so passionately about the landscape they live in is a clear message to the politicians.”

Lord Alex Carlile, Former Montgomeryshire MP – letter of support read out

“These plans are an expensive folly and an insult to Welsh landscape. I have opposed such wind farms since 1992 and will continue to do so.”

Iolo Williams, TV personality - letter of support read out

“I detest wind farms. It is only lately that we have all realised the associated works that come with them that will damage the whole area. Tan 8 must be thrown out.”

Peter Ogden, Director of Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales

“We must win fast in this race against time. Support Glyn’s idea to invade Cardiff. The proposals are all rotten apples. I urge you to oppose them all.”

John Wilkinson, Meifod Dairy Farmer

“I am urging a unified campaign. Not just to say ‘not here and build them somewhere else’. They should not be built at all, anywhere.”

Tony Caplin, Abermule campaigner

“They plan to build a 20-acre substation 100 yards from 1,000 people in 350 houses. Those house prices will come down and people’s lives will be ruined. It is only 200 yards from the school and parents will take their children elsewhere and it will close. The village’s largest employer is thinking of pulling out too. Everybody is seriously worried.”

Gary Swain, Four Crosses campaigner

“At the Meifod meeting the nice lady from the Energy company told us these plans were merely ’industrialising the landscape’. What they doing is annihilating the landscape. Wind energy is stifling the development and research of other energy forms. I want to be able to tell my four kids in five years that I stood and fought these plans.”

Steve Elliot, Shropshire Campaigner

“Save some space on the bus to Cardiff Montgomeryshire because Shropshire is coming with you!”

A reminder of what the plans include:

800 new turbines for 15 wind farms – some of them being 460 feet tall

20-acre substation (some campaigners suspect there could be two eventually)

100kms of power cables

Hundreds of 150ft high pylons