CARMARTHENSHIRE residents are facing legal action as energy company GreenGEN Cymru, a subsidiary of Bute Energy, demands access to land for pylon surveys. The move has reignited concerns over potential conflicts of interest within Carmarthenshire County Council, as many of its members hold investments in Bute Energy through the Dyfed Pension Fund.

GreenGEN Cymru has recently begun exercising newly granted legal powers to gain entry to private land for the purpose of conducting surveys related to proposed pylon projects. Under the threat of prosecution, landowners in Carmarthenshire are being forced to grant access to their properties, despite widespread opposition to the projects.

A Freedom of Information request has revealed that 49 of the 75 elected members of Carmarthenshire County Council are members of the Dyfed Pension Fund, which includes investments in Bute Energy. This includes 12 of the 18 members of the Council’s Planning Committee, raising concerns among residents about the impartiality of the planning process.

The controversy has deepened following the disclosure that one of the councillors with investments in Bute Energy is Ann Davies MP, who previously served as the Lead Member for Planning on the Council. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) had to intervene before the Council released the names of councillors with ties to the pension fund.

Residents have voiced their frustrations, accusing the Council of failing to address the potential conflict of interest. Havard Hughes, spokesperson for the Carmarthenshire Residents’ Action Group, criticised the Council’s lack of transparency and urged for the immediate withdrawal of the Dyfed Pension Fund’s investments in Bute Energy.

“Residents deserve to be supported by their elected representatives at this time,” said Mr Hughes. “However, every time concerns are raised about the proximity between Bute Energy and our local politicians, we are met with silence, obstruction, and denial.”

Llandeilo resident and conservationist Tara-Jane Sutcliffe echoed these concerns, particularly highlighting the implications for the Towy-Usk pylon project. “With a majority of two-thirds of the Council having their future security invested in Bute Energy via the Dyfed Pension scheme, residents will feel that there is no way that the Towy-Usk project can receive an unprejudiced hearing,” she said.

The Towy-Usk pylon project, along with the Towy-Teifi scheme, has faced significant opposition from local communities. While some elements of these projects fall under the jurisdiction of Welsh Ministers, others, such as the proposed 32-acre substation in Llandyfaelog, will be decided by the local authority. Despite the scale of the project, Carmarthenshire County Council has decided against completing an Environmental Impact Assessment for the substation, a decision that has further fuelled public concern.

The controversy surrounding the Council’s pension investments comes in stark contrast to Powys County Council, which opted not to invest its pension fund in Bute Energy. This decision has prompted calls for Carmarthenshire to follow suit.

Carmarthenshire Residents’ Action Group has launched a petition calling for the Council to disinvest from Bute Energy, accusing it of prioritising financial gain over the interests of the community. The petition, titled “Stop Backing Bute,” has garnered significant support as residents seek to protect their local landscape from what they describe as “brutal industrialisation.”

As the situation unfolds, the pressure on Carmarthenshire County Council continues to mount. Residents and campaigners alike are demanding transparency and action, urging the Council to sever its financial ties with Bute Energy to restore public trust in the planning process.

For more information and to support the petition, visit CRAiG Sir Gâr’s website at www.craigsirgar.org.