Ian McMaster, of Ditti-sham, writes: Wind turbines and tourism – some hard data at last. May I offer some concrete ­information that may help people judge the suitability of siting wind turbines in prominent positions across the South Hams countryside? While it is claimed that ­inappropriately sited wind turbines will damage the tourist trade, there has been very little hard data quoted to support that view. However, a trawl of the internet reveals a large survey was conducted by YouGov in September 2012 that looked at the potential impact of wind turbines on people's attitudes towards visiting scenic areas. A representative sample of 2,269 adults were interviewed ­covering England, Scotland and Wales. Ninety one per cent said they visited scenic areas of the UK specifically for their 'natural heritage and beauty' – no ­surprise there. Of these, overall 43 per cent said they would be less likely to visit a scenic area that had a large concentration of wind turbines. This figure increases with the age of respondent to 50 per cent of people aged 55-plus – a key demographic for Dartmouth visitors. Conversely, only two per cent of respondents said they would be more likely to visit a scenic area with a large concentration of wind turbines. Full details can be found on the John Muir Trust website. It seems reasonable to ­conclude from this survey that if wind turbines are allowed to proliferate across the South Hams, visitor numbers will almost certainly decline, with consequent serious implications for jobs and the economy. Is this a risk that residents, working people and local ­business owners are willing to take?