9' Pylon goes on tour at Urdd Eisteddfod Field Protest

This Friday, supporters of Cymdeithas yr Iaith will carry a 1/10 scale model of a 90 foot high  electricity pylon across the Urdd Eisteddfod field at Margam Park towards the Welsh Government Unit on the Maes. A letter will be handed over there for the attention of the First Minister Eluned Morgan "asking the Welsh Government to ensure that any cables for the transmission of green energy through Carmarthenshire will be underground rather than through constructing rows of hundreds of pylons".

The letter, from members of Cymdeithas living in Carmarthenshire, continues:

"We ask you to ensure that the IAG (Independent Advisory Group), in assessing the comparative cost of underground cables, researches the technology of "cable-ploughing" which is common in many parts of Europe, and much cheaper than traditional methods of laying underground cables. We oppose any intention to transmit the energy through miles of large pylons, as their concrete blocks and the need for access roads for construction and maintenance would require large chunks of agricultural land which would in a number of cases make the farms unsustainable. This would in turn undermine the economic base of our Welsh-speaking rural communities."

In the letter, Cymdeithas members also emphasise that they fully support sustainable green energy for Wales, but that community control and benefit should over-ride corporate profit and the expediency of centralised planning.

A number of members of the farming communities - many who have children competing at the Eisteddfod - will be joining Cymdeithas supporters in the march across the Eisteddfod Maes from the Cymdeithas Unit at 2.30pm to the Welsh Government stand on the field. Members of the young band "Coron Moron" will be performing the protest song which has been adopted for the campaign during the protest at the Cymdeithas stand. Cymdeithas will also be asking Urdd Gobaith Cymru not to accept funding from Bute Energy while they are still threatening to take land from local Welsh communities for their pylons.

The same day Friday 30/5 Cymdeithas will be sending an email message to a director of C.I.P. (Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners) who have recently made substantial investments in Bute Energy and in GreeGEN Cymru asking them to use their influence to ensure that power lines go underground. The email will arrive on the day that the Welsh National Women's Football team will be playing against Danmark in the Nations League in the same city.