James Evans has called for an immediate halt to major wind turbine and pylon developments in Wales, warning they could “decimate” the countryside and threaten the tourism economy in his constituency.

The Brecon and Radnorshire MS raised the issue in the Senedd this week, urging the Welsh Government to impose a full moratorium on decisions being taken under what he described as outdated planning guidance.

He pressed Rebecca Evans, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Planning, over why applications for large-scale energy infrastructure continue to be determined by Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) under “outdated guidance which needs to be updated”.

Mr Evans said turbines and new high-voltage pylons proposed across parts of his constituency could leave long-lasting impacts on the environment and biodiversity.

“This is going to have a long-lasting impact on the environment, on biodiversity and, more importantly, on the tourism sector in my constituency,” he told the Senedd, later saying that Brecon and Radnorshire was “not a sacrifice zone”.

He also criticised previous comments made by First Minister Eluned Morgan, who in October said people in Powys would need to “make a contribution” to Wales’ renewable energy future, drawing comparisons with the role of South Wales valleys communities during the coal mining era.

Mr Evans said: “The First Minister has in the past made a direct correlation between these pylons and mining in South Wales, saying that Mid Wales had to play its part, which I think was an absolutely disgraceful comment to make.”

Calling for “a complete stop on these pylons and turbines and a full moratorium” across Wales, Mr Evans argued that applications are being decided using guidance that is outdated.

In response, Ms Evans said Welsh Government policy is clear, including a preference for undergrounding transmission lines where viable.

“It's not going to be viable in every case. It’s not going to be commercially viable in every case, and it's not going to be viable because of the geography of areas in every case,” she told he Senedd.

“That's why we're considering our response to the independent advisory group's recommendations.

“We set up that group specifically to look at issues around the viability and the cost of undergrounding.

“Our response to that will describe how we can translate the recommendations into a work programme to shape and deliver the modern, resilient grid that Wales needs to meet our energy demands.”

Several onshore wind farm projects are currently at different stages of development across Powys. The latest to go out for PEDW consultation was the Nant Mithil Energy Park, proposed by Bute Energy at Radnor Forest near Llandrindod Wells. The scheme includes 30 turbines, each up to 220 metres tall.

A separate proposal, Green GEN Towy Usk, would see 60 miles of pylons built between Radnor Forest and Llandyfaelog in Carmarthenshire to connect the project to the national grid.

The debate follows Powys County Council’s bid to pause wind farm applications. In November, the Welsh Government rejected the request, saying an advisory group would review transmission infrastructure.