The Baptist Chapel in Newtown hosted a meeting of more than spiritual interest tonight as National Grid spokesmen faced over 1000 angry locals.
Chaired by MP Glyn Davies, the meeting was specifically designed as an information gathering exercise rather than a protest meeting but the feelings of local people could not be contained.
Landowner Robyn Benbow, who farms close to one of the possible substation sites in Cefn Coch stated that he had refused to build wind turbines, asking if he would still be forced to allow pylons on his land. When informed that his land would be subject to compulsory purchase, Mr Benbow asked who owned the land, him or the Secretary of State.
His stance was supported by Meifod farmer Jonathan Wilkinson. David Mercer of National Grid gave little credence to the notion, recently floated by First Minister Carwyn Jones that the grid infrastructure in Mid Wales required hubs and pylons to bring power in: engineer Brett Kibble emphasised that the power from the proposed Mid-Wales Connection Project is destined for businesses and homes in England and this was not disputed.
Myfanwy Alexander, referring to documents submitted by the Police Forces to Scottish Power in their scoping document for the Dyfnant Forest windfarm, asked how much money National Grid had laid aside in their business plan for security, given the frank admission from local police forces that growing themes of civil unreest were beyond the capblilty of local forces, asked how much been set aside in the National Grid business plan. The Nation Grid spokesman felt the meeting without any doubt as to the strength of opposition to the entire project.
