A new electricity station is to be built in Powys to serve a controversial windfarm development that was left “idle”.

Approval has been granted to build a new electricity substation near Howey outside Llandrindod Wells to help connect Hendy Wind farm, which sits 10km away, to the national grid.

The windfarm was controversially built after being granted planning permission from the Welsh Government in 2018 despite objections from Powys County Council.

The wind farm should produce enough energy to power nearly 10,000 homes but had been the subject of complaints by councillors for having been left “idle”.

READ MORE: Action vow as windfarm in Powys 'sitting idle' without exporting electricity

It was initially intended that the wind farm would be connected to the national grid via a substation and overhead lines at Hendy however Powys County Council has now granted permission for a substation which will serve the site.

According to the application put in by Hendy Wind Farm the electricity substation will also include “associated ancillary buildings and structures, boundary fencing, creation of a new access into the compound as well as associated engineering, landscaping and drainage works.”

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The proposals were the source of a number of complaints including “being close to adjoining properties, a general dislike of the proposal, inadequate access, an increase in traffic, a loss of privacy, noise nuisance, being out of keeping with character of area, traffic or highways issues and its ecological impact”.

In the final report a planning officer for Powys County Council said: “The concerns raised within the public responses have been carefully considered and whilst there will be a visual and landscape impact from the development, it is concluded that the benefits of the proposed development in terms of supporting the operation of an existing, consented windfarm weigh in favour of the development.

“Otherwise, all other material planning considerations, are either found to be acceptable or can be conditioned as discussed above. Therefore, the recommendation is one of approval.”