The Background National Grid are to construct a new high voltage (400kVolt) line from mid Wales
to join
the national grid somewhere between Shrewsbury
and Oswestry. There are several possible routes or corridors. The plans involve
the creation of a 19-acre substation or hub in the Welsh Marches, and a
line of 47m high pylons stretching through some of the most beautiful
countryside in Britain.
National Grid say that the powerline would be a combination of overground
(pylons) and underground but under their present plans no more than 5%
would be buried. Under the plans a substation will be built either at Abermule or at Cefn Coch. The power line will run from the substation to join the National Grid at one of three points: Lower Frankton, Wigmarsh or Walford Heath. National Grid have put forward ten possible route corridors which are shown on the diagram here. At the end there will be one corridor joining one substation to one of the three joining points. National Grid are consulting in order to help them decide which one to choose and they are asking the public to say which route they prefer. Our position is that none of the routes are acceptable because whichever route is selected would seriously damage communities and countryside along the way. We are asking National Grid to go back and think again. The full details of the plans are available on the National Grid website at: http://www.midwalesconnection.com/ The plans for the Rea Valley The Rea/Camlad Valley route would run from a substation at Abermule, along the Rea Valley and connect to the national grid at Walford Heath. The transmission lines would run along the Rea and Camlad Valleys, easily visible from the Stiperstones. The precise sites of the pylons is not yet known; this would be calculated by engineers after the consultation period. At the moment, the routes are representated as wide corridors - although this still gives us enough of an idea of where the impact would be. We know that the pylons would not be sited on the valley floor, as this is prone to flooding.
 Further Information
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