WE were saddened to see Mr Bickley's letter in the Times (July 7).

The facts (some of which have come to light since Mr Bickley wrote his letter) are these:-

The Coalition is, it has been reported, proposing to manipulate the energy market so that suppliers of so called 'green energy' will be paid an artificially high price to make their proposals economically viable. Indeed, according to the University of Cambridge Energy Policy Research Group the Coalition's market reforms could increase household bills by 32% by 2030 and 'send UK electricity prices towards being the highest in the European Union'.

Let us lay the ghost once and for all that wind farms are 'green' energy. Wind farms operate on average for only 20% of the time. When they do, gas-fired power stations have to be left on tick over to take up the slack when the wind drops. When on tick-over, our understanding is that they generate more CO2 than when working to full capacity.

It seems to us that single pensioners will be hardest hit by the changes because power bills represent a higher proportion of their income than any other group.

It surely cannot be right that, as always, the poorest and most vulnerable sections of the community will suffer directly as a result of these policies and may find themselves faced with the unenviable choice of either keeping warm or getting enough to eat.

It is no use blaming the farmers and others for accepting the offers they are getting for erecting wind farms. If the rumours are to be believed the figures are truly mind-boggling. It begs the question that, if wind farms are efficient, why does the market have to be rigged to make them cost-effective?

Mr Bickley does not believe the wind farms will have an effect on tourism. Read the 2002 Visit Scotland survey and you will see that tourists avoid landscapes with wind turbines. Evidence from Europe shows a 40% drop of tourist visitors in areas with wind farms.

Anybody who is in any doubt as to the accuracy of these facts should look at the Mynydd Llansdrwn Action Group website. All of their facts and figures are based on hard evidence, not guesswork. Wales has come to realise far too late just what a blight these things are.

Finally, Mr Bickley says we already have a number of masts in this area. He is right; we already have more than our fair share of these obscenities. Why is Okehampton always the fall guy or the sacrificial lamb? We haven't heard of any significant wind farms anywhere else around Dartmoor.

We are convinced that our children will look back on what we did to this beautiful countryside for no good purpose at all and will condemn us for its desecration.

Richard Leonard

for and on behalf of OPPT (Okehampton Protecting and Promoting Tourism)

IN reply to Mr Bickley's rather odd letter, does he understand what micro-generation is? 

Mr Heard's turbines are not planned to run his farmhouse and indeed he cannot even see them, they are a commercial project, pure and simple. 

Also, does Mr Bickley not worry that our young people are being brainwashed — yes, I feel sad for the college kids — I think it would be great for them to experience their college being run (or partly so) by a wind turbine on their site . . . all good learning but it is crucial they know the true facts about what works and what doesn't and to what effect on communities/health/people's livelihoods.

Who knows, these youngsters when given the true facts that wind will not secure future supplies, may come up with a new and cracking idea to generate power — perhaps a look at the river running right past their school.

Jill Bozier

Bowerland