Wind farm plans panic Welsh firms concerned about traffic

People from local businesses in the Powys region have gathered at a meeting in Newtown to discuss the possible disruption that could be caused by wind farms planned for the area.

Some 50 representatives of local businesses were raising concerns about the effect the wind farms will have of transport in the mid-Wales region.

Currently, there are 15 wind farms planned in the region and if all are approved, some 4,000 extra heavy loads would need to be transported on local roads for the coming seven years. This is according to reports from Powys Council.

"We ship out many shipments a day and if hospitals don't get those supplies, it could be serious, especially if there's a major disruption to traffic," explained Trevor Wheatley of local medical firm CellPath, which exports some 25 per cent of its output.

There are also concerns that tourism will be negatively affected when visitors realise the impact the wind farms are having on the natural beauty of the region.

Although wind energy can be used for heating in off-grid, rural homes, it is always advisable to install a heating oil boiler as a back-up source of heating. Heating oil is widely available throughout Wales from suppliers such as the OJ Williams depot in Three Cocks.