Welsh farmers are fighting Energy Secretary Ed Miliband’s nationwide pylon rollout by refusing to let Green Gen Cymru onto their land.
Landowners are willing to face criminal charges for blocking access, with campaigners saying they are “not going to mess about”.
The company wants to build a 60-mile network of 108ft pylons through rural Wales. The project aims to connect onshore wind farm projects to the National Grid through the Tywi and Teifi valleys.
Residents oppose the plans, saying Miliband’s only legacy will be “destroying the British countryside”.
The company wants to build a 60-mile network of 108ft pylons through rural Wales
GETTY
This resistance could hinder the Labour minister’s plans to build hundreds of pylons across the country in his net zero push.
More than 100 affected landowners have been refusing access to their land for surveying, unless underground cables are “seriously considered”.
Green Gen Cymru selected more than a dozen to be dragged to court on civil grounds after applying for warrants to access private land.
If warrants are issued, continuing to deny access would become a criminal matter.
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Wynne Jenkins, 71, reluctantly agreed to grant access after being “bullied” into signing a licence agreement.
The transport boss feared £50,000 in legal fees and worried about potential criminal charges affecting his business.
“You don’t want to be in front of the commissioner with a criminal record,” he said.
Other farmers have vowed not to back down. Resident Glenn Edgeworth, 69, called the plans a “disaster”, adding: “The thought people are going to ruin it is heartbreaking when there’s an alternative.”
Robert Lankester and Eirian Edwards from Llandovery Pylon Community Action Group claim cable ploughing is a “cost comparative” method that would be a “win win” for all parties.
The group aims to preserve the “unspoilt part of Wales” with its “world class scenery”, recently recognised when the “Heart of Wales Line” was included in National Geographic’s list of best train trips globally.
The Welsh resistance could serve as a test case for several proposed pylon networks across Britain.
In March, the Government offered £250 annual energy bill discounts to residents near new pylons, which Lankester called “an absolute joke”.
Residents oppose the plans, saying Miliband’s only legacy will be “destroying the British countryside”
PA
Ann Davies, Plaid Cymru MP for Caerfyrddin, attended court hearings alongside 80 protesters in what she described as a “David vs Goliath battle”.
The tenant farmer called the court process “theatre, show and intimidation”. On potential criminal charges, she added: “The feeling is we are not going to mess about.”
Green Gen Cymru said it was pleased to reach agreements with the “majority of landowners” facing court.
“We want to work constructively and cooperatively with landowners to reach agreements without the need for legal proceedings,” a spokesman said.
The company added that the infrastructure is “critical to meeting the challenges of the climate emergency”.