This quote comes from Emma Pinchbeck (1) who is the incoming chief executive of the Climate Change Committee. There are many who would not share that view, particularly the residents of the Towy Valley who are facing the prospect of a 60 mile power line from Radnor Forest, near Llandrindod Wells, north of Carmarthenshire, to a substation south of Carmarthen, which would run overhead on pylons, crossing the county’s agricultural heartland and an area popular with tourists.
Pinchbeck goes on to say that, ” There is a blunt conversation which needs to be had with people about the impacts of climate change on the places they love, and the reason we’re building this stuff,” She added: “It can’t be OK for some communities to say they don’t want change at the expense of the national economy, especially when people are struggling with their energy bills.” Although Pinchbeck caveated that with “…of course: Industry should be required to do as little harm as possible”, many of the people living in affected areas would argue that they have an absolute right to say they don’t want the landscape they live and work in and which is the basis of their livelihoods, to be destroyed by industrialisation that does not benefit them.
The proposed 60 mile long stretch of pylons would cut through some of the most beautiful landscapes in rural and mid Wales.
The construction of the pylons and the infrastructure needed to enable that, would cause considerable destruction and harm to the landscape. Trees and hedgerows will be felled and this will impact on animals, birds, insects whose habitats will be destroyed at a time when nature needs to be protected. The UK is already one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world with 1 in 6 species at risk of extinction. We face a biodiversity crisis which will be exacerbated by the proposed pylon route.
The Welsh Government is proud of its 2015 legislation, the Well-being of Future Generations Act. Introducing pylons in to a beautiful, non-industrialised area without the consent of local communities or proper consideration of the effects, would directly contradict the legislation’s stated aims and have destructive impacts on nature and ecosystems. Hard to see how the word ‘protection‘ can be applied to the amount of damage that would wrought if the pylon scheme is given planning permission. A large section of the route would tear through the exceptional beauty of the Towy Valley. This will have a devastating effect on both the landscape and the local economy which is dependent on tourism and farming. The pylon project is being promoted as a ‘green energy pathway’ across Wales to provide electricity for a Net Zero world and which would benefit of Wales. However, Wales is already a net exporter of electricity, providing twice its domestic needs, and it is unclear how projects such as the one proposed by Bute Energy/Green GEN Cymru would benefit Welsh communities.
And, there is the harm, perhaps not so immediately visible, to the communities who live in the landscape. Farming and tourism are at the heart of the Towy Valley and are important economically. The pylons would harm both of these. For farmers, hedges, fences and walls would be removed, and crushed rock brought in to surface the haul roads. Pylon bases and crane pads would see even more concrete poured into our landscape. The route would be fenced off for the two-year construction period. The land would be out of production for that time, and it is unlikely to fully recover from this. The viability of those farms is at risk.
Many people return time after time to enjoy the Towy Valley and it surroundings for its warm hospitality, tranquility, abundant nature and beautiful environment. It is conveniently positioned to enjoy the coast, the mountains, and the countryside. There are many businesses that depend on tourism; holiday lets, B&Bs, activity centres, specialist food companies, restaurants and pubs. Walkers , cyclists and dark skies watchers,are just some of the regular users of the area and all it has to offer. The timeline for building these industrial infrastructure projects will be counted in years, disrupting everyday life, and threatening tourism’s economic future. Who will want to spend their holidays in a construction area? Will it ever recover? This all seems to spell out the word harm rather than protection.
It is well understood that we face a biodiversity crisis. Delivering clean energy, reducing carbon emissions, and hitting net zero targets, are key in combating climate change – which is a major factor driving the biodiversity crisis. Energy policies must reflect the intrinsic links between climate and biodiversity by making nature recovery a core principle of new energy growth. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that the impacts to biodiversity are properly avoided, minimised and mitigated in the drive to deliver clean energy. It is also essential that communities feel engaged in the decision making process and don’t just have schemes imposed on them. The phrase ‘community benefit’ is bandied around a lot, but this is not straightforward and some interpret it as a bribe to householders to put up with what they are being forced to accept.
Emma Pinchbeck lives in the Cotswolds which is an AONB. Pylons there are being undergrounded as part of a National Grid scheme. The Cotswolds VIP project aims to replace a section of overhead electricity transmission line around 7km long in the Cotswolds National Landscape with underground cables. Sixteen pylons will be permanently removed from the landscape along the line which runs from Postlip Mill in the north to the edge of the Cotswold Plateau to the north of Dowdeswell reservoir. The planned route for the new [underground] cables runs over the Cotswold Plateau north to Postlip Mill. This will closely follow the Cotswold Way National Trail. The most significant justification for this is to remove “…the pylons [which] will significantly enhance views for residents and visitors to the Cotswolds National Landscape, including users of the Cotswold Way National Trail. The VIP project will also benefit visitors to Belas Knap long barrow and Cleeve Common.” The Towy Valley is not yet an AONB, though there is strong push to have it designated as one. The question has to be asked as to why, the enhancement of the views of residents and visitors to the Cotswold National Landscape is more important than those in the Towy Valley which boasts a long history of being regarded as one of Britain’s finest landscapes. It is recognised by Natural Resources Wales as an outstanding visual landscape and is registered as an outstanding historic landscape by CADW. Why is alright to protect the Cotwolds but harm the Towy Valley?
The arguments about Net Zero and climate change and renewables are complex and the landscape and how it should be managed, even more so. But, in the midst of all the debate is the more simple question of why communities should be forced to accept changes to their homes, businesses and landscape when it has no direct benefit for them and when, despite the argument from the developers, no real consultation has taken place with communities and individuals affected. Protection seems an odd word to use in relation to pylons that will have significant negative impacts for many people. Harm sounds a more credible one as the Towy Valley faces a new industrial revolution which will threaten people, nature and the fabric of the Welsh landscape, its history and its people.
So, perhaps Emma Pinchbeck would like to re-think about her statement, particularly in light of where she lives, and take a more realistic view of the effects that pylons will have on the lives of the people who live in those areas where they represent only harm and no protection and that those making the decisions are required to ensure that industry does as little harm as possible.
- Interview in the New Statesman by Megan Kenyon https://www.newstatesman.com/spotlight/sustainability/2024/11/emma-pinchbeck-when-i-see-pylons-i-see-protection-not-harm