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Mapping protected sites along the pylon corridor…

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Heritage & Environment
Impact Map

Protected designations along the Towy-Usk pylon route

Why it must go underground

82%

of pylons stand within 500 m of a protected site

292 of 355 pylons · 213 within just 250 m — SSSI, SAC, scheduled monument or ancient woodland

199

pylons within 250 m of ancient woodland

89 within 100 m · wires over 12 ancient woods

2

protected rivers crossed

River Wye SAC & SSSI and Afon Irfon SSSI — T014 just 51 m from the Wye

9 full circles

of zig-zag across the valley

3,309° of turns in 80 km · 45 pylons change direction by more than 30° — the Holford Rules ask for few, gentle changes

5

scheduled monuments within 500 m

3 are Roman — Abererbwll fort and the Roman road near Llandovery

355

pylons, at least 22 m tall

Every one on the skyline for the life of the line

It can be done. GreenGen already plan to put 6 km of this line underground. Underground cable leaves no pylons, no wires and no scar on the skyline — we ask for the same along the rest of the Towy and Usk valleys.

Main route via Option A, 355 pylons, 80.6 km overhead. Distances measured from pylon positions to NRW and Cadw designation boundaries. In the wider study area: 225 SSSIs · 304 SAC/SPA units · 549 scheduled monuments.

Views from heritage sites

How many pylons would stand around the Tywi valley’s best-loved places. Open the 3D view to stand at each site and look towards the line.

Builth Castle

Norman motte and bailey castle, Builth Wells

34pylons within 3 km

51pylons within 5 km

Nearest: T028, 1.2 km away

See this view in 3D

Royal Welsh Showground

Home of the Royal Welsh Show, Llanelwedd

35pylons within 3 km

52pylons within 5 km

Nearest: T030, 1.8 km away

See this view in 3D

Caerau Roman fort

Roman fort near Beulah

22pylons within 3 km

42pylons within 5 km

Nearest: T082, 1.9 km away

See this view in 3D

Abererbwll Roman fort

Roman fort on the route to Llandovery

25pylons within 3 km

42pylons within 5 km

Nearest: T131A, 0.3 km away

See this view in 3D

Sugar Loaf

Summit of the landmark hill above the A483

22pylons within 3 km

41pylons within 5 km

Nearest: T134A, 1.6 km away

See this view in 3D

Cynghordy Viaduct

Famous 18-arch viaduct on the Heart of Wales line

19pylons within 3 km

39pylons within 5 km

Nearest: T143, 2.0 km away

See this view in 3D

Cefn Pal enclosure

Prehistoric defended enclosure above the Tywi

27pylons within 3 km

45pylons within 5 km

Nearest: T155, 0.8 km away

See this view in 3D

Llandovery Roman fort

Roman fort site beside St Mary’s Church, Llanfair-ar-y-bryn

25pylons within 3 km

45pylons within 5 km

Nearest: T175, 0.8 km away

See this view in 3D

Llandovery Castle

Norman castle and statue of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan

22pylons within 3 km

43pylons within 5 km

Nearest: T178, 1.7 km away

See this view in 3D

Garn Goch hillforts

One of the largest Iron Age hillforts in Wales

0pylons within 3 km

24pylons within 5 km

Nearest: T237, 4.2 km away

See this view in 3D

Newton House, Dinefwr Park

National Trust house and historic deer park

21pylons within 3 km

42pylons within 5 km

Nearest: T260, 2.1 km away

See this view in 3D

Dinefwr Castle

Medieval castle of the Princes of Deheubarth, above the Tywi

18pylons within 3 km

41pylons within 5 km

Nearest: T261, 2.7 km away

See this view in 3D

Aberglasney

Historic house and gardens, Llangathen

25pylons within 3 km

40pylons within 5 km

Nearest: T281, 1.2 km away

See this view in 3D

Grongar Hill

Iron Age hillfort, immortalised in John Dyer’s 1726 poem

24pylons within 3 km

34pylons within 5 km

Nearest: T289, 1.2 km away

See this view in 3D

Dryslwyn Castle

13th-century Welsh castle on a hill in the valley floor

14pylons within 3 km

24pylons within 5 km

Nearest: T293, 1.8 km away

See this view in 3D

Paxton’s Tower

1811 folly with views over the whole Tywi valley

2pylons within 3 km

19pylons within 5 km

Nearest: T298, 2.9 km away

See this view in 3D

Counts are pylons on the main route (Option A) within a straight-line distance of the site. They show how close the line comes, not how many can be seen — use the 3D view to judge the view itself.

Trees & Woodland — main route

46 ha

Woodland felled

114 acres · 50 woods cut through — including 4.1 km straight through Crychan Forest

483 ha

Never woodland again

60 m tree-free strip kept clear for the life of the line

27

Ancient woodland incursions

Places where the felling corridor cuts into ancient woodland

Against the Welsh Government’s own target

New woodland target by 203043,000 ha

Actually planted, average 2010–20430 ha / yr

Planted in 202080 ha

Felled in Crychan Forest alone32 ha

Felled by this line46 ha

Pylons within 50 / 100 / 250 m of ancient woodland21 / 89 / 199

Main route via Option A (80.6 km overhead). Woodland from NFI 2020; ancient woodland from NRW Inventory 2021. Felling corridor: conifer 80 m, broadleaf 60 m, scrub 30 m. Planting figures: Senedd Research.

Map Layers

SSSI Boundaries

225 sites — NRW data

SAC (Habitats)

199 units

SPA (Birds)

105 units

Scheduled Monuments

549 sites — Cadw

Ancient Woodland

NRW Inventory 2021

Heritage Viewpoints

16 sites — click for the 3D view

Ancient Woodland Incursions

27 points where the felling corridor enters

Crychan Forest Cut

4.1 km through forest · 17 pylons · 32 ha felled

National Nature Reserves

13 NNR parcels near route

RIG Sites (Geodiversity)

113 sites near route

Common Land (CRoW)

207 parcels — 54,783 ha near route

Open Country (CRoW)

1,058 parcels — 27,380 ha near route

Via Julia Roman Road

Road & forts — hand-traced

Pylon Route

107 km reference

Construction Compounds

Temporary work sites

Scaffolding Zones

Pylon erection areas

Drum Yards

Cable storage areas

Temporary Bridges & Culverts

River & stream crossings

Switching Station

Proposed facility

400kV Substation

Proposed NGET facility

GGC Platform

Grid connection platform

Construction & Access Roads

GreenGen site roads

Monopoles (T-Pylons)

391 reference

Legal Protection

SSSI — Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981Statutory protection

SAC — Conservation of Habitats Regs 2017European designation

SPA — Conservation of Habitats Regs 2017Bird protection

SAM — Ancient Monuments Act 1979Criminal offence to damage

Ancient Woodland — TAN 5 / PPWIrreplaceable habitat

Heritage & Environment — Protected Sites