Chirbury district councillor Heather Kidd is seeking an urgent meeting with Shropshire County Council after it emerged that convoys of fifty-metres-long juggernauts would be crossing her ward at night if current plans for a wind farm are approved.
Heather said: “If Powys County Council approves these plans it would mean that a minimum of 240 fifty-metre-long loads would be moved at night along some pretty small roads in my ward.”
The Liberal Democrat councillor said the lorries would move in convoys of three – at least 80 of them.
“Their route from Welshpool to Kerry is along the A490, then the B4365 to Kerry then into Shropshire at the Blue Bell Inn where the corner at the junction will have to be realigned.
“These roads will be closed during this time as the loads will take up the carriageway.
“It seems that the planning departments of both Shropshire County Council and the district have been consulted on the wind farms themselves but not apparently on the highways impact.
“I suspect this is because the applicant didn’t realise that the route goes into Shropshire at this point.”
“Quite apart from the disruption this is going to cause to local people along the route, I have severe doubts about the objectives of this scheme.
“The idea behind renewable energy is to reduce carbon emissions, but the amount of carbon these vehicles will generate on their circuitous route seems to negate the whole exercise
“County Councillor Peter Phillips and I have asked for a meeting with Tony Crossland from the County’s Highways De-partment to discuss these proposals and the likelihood of Powys confirming the scheme.”
