Lib Dems Accuse Welsh Labour Government of Turning a Blind Eye to Pylon Concerns in Powys

Welsh Liberal Democrat Councillor for Llanidloes and Senedd Candidate for Gwynedd Maldwyn (Gwynedd & Montgomeryshire), Glyn Preston, has sharply criticised the Welsh Labour Government for what he describes as a failure to take seriously the growing concern in Powys about the surge in windfarm and associated pylon proposals.

His comments follow the Welsh Labour Government’s formal response to Powys County Council’s unanimous request for a pause on new Developments of National Significance (DNS) applications until clear plans are set out for managing cumulative impacts and upgrading the electricity grid.

Councillors from all political groups backed the call for a temporary halt, reflecting widespread unease across Powys about the unprecedented volume of renewable energy schemes progressing simultaneously. Local communities have repeatedly warned that the current case-by-case planning approach fails to account for the combined effects of overlapping windfarms and new transmission lines. There is growing frustration that the presumption in favour of large-scale windfarms within Pre-Assessed Areas leaves residents feeling sidelined in decisions that will shape local landscapes for generations.

Despite these concerns, the Welsh Government’s response offered no commitment to pause further applications and did not address the specific questions put forward by councillors. Ministers restated existing planning policies but did not explain how cumulative impacts will be assessed across Powys, nor how the already-strained electricity network will be modernised to handle the scale of proposed development. No clarity was provided on whether new 132kV lines will be undergrounded, or how consenting regimes for generation and transmission infrastructure will be aligned.

Instead, the response pointed to ongoing work by an advisory group, with no indication of when meaningful answers or decisions will be provided. The Government also suggested that developers should decide whether to proceed before grid connections are available, raising fears that speculative projects may receive consent without any guarantee they can be delivered.

Commenting, Cllr Glyn Preston said:

The Welsh Labour Government’s reply is simply not good enough. Powys residents are facing an unprecedented wave of windfarm and pylon proposals, yet Ministers have failed to provide even the most basic assurances about how these developments will be coordinated, assessed, or delivered. Communities feel overwhelmed, and the Government’s response only reinforces the sense that their concerns are being ignored.

We asked for a clear strategy to manage cumulative impacts; instead, we were given generic statements and no answers. Powys supports renewable energy, but it must be done properly.

When companies say the undergrounding of pylons is too expensive, what they really mean is that it takes money out of their bottom line. Make no mistake: these are large corporations backed by very wealthy investors and banks.

The Welsh Labour Government must stop turning a blind eye to the real concerns of rural communities and start engaging meaningfully, rather than protecting the profits of large companies seeking to extract wealth from Wales while offering little to no benefit to local people.

ENDS