PHIL PAWSEY, of Pawsey Design Ltd, East Portlemouth, writes:

Regarding the article 'Campaigners map out long march of the wind turbines', Gazette, August 30.

I read the above article with dismay, it was not a report by Steve Peacock, more of a vehicle for Julia Stanley-Taylor, it would have been better if the account was accredited to her.

As the 'report' was entirely biased towards Julia Stanley-Taylor's viewpoint please may I ask that a contrary report by an informed supporter of renewable energy be given equal coverage by your paper.

Please note that currently I do not feel qualified to assume that role.

As a personal observation of the report it grieves me to see such a blanket negative view of the wind turbine, (repeatedly carried over to other renewable energy resources). I rather struggle with the comment by Julia Stanley-Taylor' 'This is a very small area and it is the wrong place to be doing this' and wonder at the mindset to make such a statement.

We can all define small areas to suit ourselves and where is the wrong place? I can only assume the wrong place is our back yard.

We all put the light on, we boil the kettle. Surely we cannot assume that the right to do so should be at the loss of amenity to somebody else?

Let's just have power stations the other side of the country because the people there actually do not matter as much as we do.

We use electricity at a local level, so let's where possible generate it locally and have the shortfall and peaks of supply regulated at a national level.

So, if we are worried about the sight and sound of wind turbines. Please consider a possible alternative scenario where say the South Hams, no let's say, The Salcombe Estuary (Ria), is considered to be the primary location for a new Nuclear Power Station! Now that would be something to campaign about.

As the wind turbine gracefully turns we can ponder the problems in Japan where exposure to contaminated materials can mean death in four hours!

Alas, nuclear fallout doesn't recognize that 'This is a very small area and it is the wrong place to be doing this' or even if we are 'London based film makers'.

Even if built across the other side of the country the wind passes quietly through the wind turbine to deliver us our dose of fallout.

So, whereas nuclear power leaves us and our great, great, great, grandchildren with problems, the simple wind turbine doesn't.

If we build a wind turbine we cast a big lump of concrete on the ground to sit it on, I accept that the embodied energy in the concrete is significant but when we find a better solution to the wind turbine we can dig it up, smash it all to pieces and use it as hardcore. A little more sustainable than the nuclear alternative.

Wind turbines make a noise, personally I don't find it offensive, have you been and listened to one? The wind also makes a noise as it blows through the trees.

Wind turbines reduce property prices, but if we all had one 400m away, suddenly it wouldn't matter.

Birds are sometimes killed by wind turbines! Do you really miss that seagull?

What I really find sad is that the mindset is a blanket 'No'! There is no contemplation of considering each scheme on its merits. Just 'No, not in my back yard'!

You know we only have this planet on loan and everywhere is somebody's back yard.

At least the new website will enable me locate wind turbine proposals and write letters of support to the planners.