Assembly backing for battle to bury island’s new pylon network
A CAMPAIGN against plans for a new line of overhead pylons on Anglesey has won the crucial backing of Assembly Members.
Politicians have backed a motion calling on the National Grid to instead use underground cables for connection projects across Wales - which includes Anglesey.
In total 38 of the island’s 40 community councils are publicly opposing proposals to connect the proposed Wylfa Newydd nuclear plant to the network, with the AM, MP and county council, all calling for cables to be placed underground.
The Grid has already unveiled plans for a £100m underwater tunnel to avoid unsightly pylons across the Menai Strait, but has cited increased cost as a reason to proceed with overhead pylons for the remainder of the route from Cemaes to Pentir, near Bangor
During the Plaid Cymru-led debate last Wednesday Wednesday, A Anglesey AM Rhun ap Iorwerth AM questioned the Grid spending £500m to remove overhead pylons and replace them with underground cables in the Lake District National Park, while “ignoring” such calls on Anglesey.
“Pylons are the cheapest option, or at least the short-term cost for the Grid is lower than other options,” he said. “But what about the cost of pylons to the people of Anglesey? – on the value of their homes, to businesses, to tourism?
He added: “Rather than putting financial pressure on the people of Anglesey, the cost should be shared between all energy users.”
But UKIP AM for North Wales, Michelle Brown, criticised aspects of the motion, with the Grid warning the increased cost would have to be passed on to energy customers.
She said: “Buried cables would be better for the landscape than pylons.
“But it seems that Plaid are content to see energy prices for local people go through the roof, forgetting that not everyone earns as much as the AMs who make the decisions. With the huge cost and maintenance time implications, it’s difficult to see how this is anything but a cynical ploy to grab a few headlines.”
However, the motion was unanimously passed with 51 votes in favour and none against.
Anglesey resident Nathan Gill, who is an independent AM and UKIP MEP, said: “The National Grid operates as a monopoly on behalf of the Government and has been highly irresponsible in ignoring the views of those elected and those who are going to be affected.
“I urge the National Assembly to support this motion”
Conservative AM David Melding, added: “People will ask quite fundamental questions: ‘If we have got to put up with the power plant, why.do we have the least attractive way of then transmit- ting that power?’
“As a rough rule of thumb, it costs twice as much to bury a cable as to have it overhead.
“But I do think it’s the alternative that should always be considered.”
A spokeswoman for the National Grid, said: “It is crucial that we strike the right balance between protecting landscapes and making sure that electricity bills are affordable.
“We are developing our proposals in line with current Government planning policy for major infrastructure projects and it is the Government which will grant consent for the connection to be built.” A COUPLE had a “lucky escape” after a fire broke out at their home.
A 75-year-old man and 65-year-old woman were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation following the blaze thought to have been caused by an overheated dehumidifier.
Two crews spent more than an hour tackling the fire at a house in Brickpool, Amlwch, in the early hours of Wednesday.
There were no working smoke alarms at the property which could have cost the couple their lives, say North Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
Stuart Millington, senior fire safety manager at North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The residents were extremely fortunate to have escaped relatively unharmed.
“There were no working smoke alarms at their property – a carbon monoxide detector activated but clearly it is important to install the correct detector. A smoke alarm would have activated sooner and provided an earlier warning.”
The alarm was raised shortly after 4am and the fire was confined to a conservatory.
Mr Millington added: “The incident also highlights the dangers of misusing electrical appliances – it’s easy for appliances to overheat if care isn’t taken.”