Reform UK could surge in countryside where hated pylons being planned

Voters in rural Wales could surge to anti-pylon parties after plans for 60 miles of metal towers have left locals in despair ahead of May's Senedd elections. Plans for a 60-mile route of the metal towers have left locals in despair and put the issue front of mind ahead of Senned elections next May.

Local residents have even accused energy firm Green Gen Cymru of “destroying the countryside in the name of net zero”. The companies' proposal for dozens of pylons across the Twyi Valley has led to uproar among communities.

Sarah Edwards, who is a member of the Llandovery Pylon Community Action Group, said: “It's not green, it's not clean." Speaking in a personal capacity, she said: "They're destroying the countryside in the name of net zero which is just complete rubbish. It's just the communities are being trodden over and nobody is listening to them.” “Reform is the only one that has actually come out and said where its piece is. We're not going to have this net-zero nonsense destroying areas. I do think that next year is very, very important with the election, and it'll be down these valleys, the pylons, that is a very hot topic, a hot potato.

“I feel incredibly sad that people don't seem to understand what they're doing.

“These people [Green Gen Cymru] that have got this license, they have no idea the angst, the despair of some people.

“I did some impact statements when it first started and people were almost suicidal.

“They've got a pylon next to their businesses, your home, your investment, everything you've piled into it. Just being completely stomped on.”

Llandovery residents have opposed the installation of a 60-mile pylon route as part of Green Gen Cymru's renewable energy projects.

But the company wants to raise miles of the pylons through rural Wales to tackle the energy, climate and cost-of-living crises.

The renewable energy firm, a sister company of Bute Energy, confirmed in April that it had applied for court warrants to access private land by force after landowners refused its initial applications.

Dyfan Walters, 41, lives near one of the company's proposed paths of pylons, on the outskirts of Llandovery in Carmarthenshire.

He said he refused the land access application and was not afraid of being summoned to court.

Protesters have argued for the lines to be installed underground to protect the natural beauty of the areas.

The farmer said: "We, as farmers, we've always said and we said two years ago ‘put these underground, we'll open the gates, come in and do your surveys’. We'll work with them. This is two years ago and they go on about the importance of getting this done quickly because of climate change and net zero targets and the like but you know we said two years ago put it underground you can have it tomorrow.”

Mr Walters, who said the area faces around 30m-tall pylons, believes it was possible to put cables underground with a cost which "is very similar" to the erection of pylons.

He accused the energy firm of trying to inflate the cost of undergrounding, adding: “They've done an exercise that they claim it's five times the cost overhead.”

Mr Walters said: “Welsh Government policy is different to England. So with cables, the assumption is that the new cable should be placed underground in Wales, which differs to England.”

He added that communities do not want a community fund, offering financial benefits to communities affected by electricity transmission infrastructure.

Mr Walters added: “Just put that money into undergrounding it.”

Reform UK's Laura Anne Jones MS, who this week defected from the Conservatives, said: “Pylons scar our beautiful Welsh landscapes, slashing the value of homes and wrecking our precious environment. The government needs to stop putting profit before our countryside and get serious about exploring alternatives like subsea cables to protect the natural beauty of Wales."

Reform has pushed for the government to consider alternatives to pylons, such as subsea cabling.

Meanwhile Plaid Cymru has consistently called for more meaningful engagement with local communities and said it remains committed to ensuring that residents’ voices continue to shape the conversation over green energy in Wales.

A Green Gen Cymru spokesman said: “This infrastructure is critical to building a secure and reliable energy network, creating direct and supply chain jobs, and giving people in Wales energy security.

"A recent report by the Institution of Engineering and Technology showed that underground cabling costs four and a half times more than overhead lines. The reality is that fully undergrounding routes is not always viable. We will always look to reduce the visual impact of our projects where possible, and we do have some sections of undergrounding on our routes.

"We undertake extensive community consultations for all our projects in Wales and are committed to working with these communities and local landowners.”

The Welsh Government declined to comment.