First, Coun Thorp states that the development is "bad news for tourism, and all those local businesses which have expanded to support the visitor industry".

I have the inspector's report from the inquiry in front of me.

It says, on the subject of harm to tourism: "Little or no evidence-based analysis is supplied. There appears to be no evidence from other parts of the country or abroad to suggest that the presence of wind farms in open countryside has harmed the tourist industry.

"Both Cumbria and Cornwall have experienced a rise in tourist numbers since the first wind farms were installed."

If Coun Thorp has powerful evidence about the effect on tourism of wind turbines, he should have presented it at the hearing.

The fact that he didn't suggests he has no such evidence.

Second, on the subject of air defence radar (ADR) at RAF Brizlee Wood, Coun Thorp remarks that the Ministry of Defence "made it clear at the inquiry that unless the laws of physics can be changed, you cannot put turbines this close to a radar station".

Imagine my surprise that the inspector's report says no such thing.

Rather it states: "It is certainly not clear from the inquiry evidence that it (the wind farm] would be too close to the ADR … the MoD is confident that a solution to the acknowledged difficulties can be achieved through T102 radar deployment."

This is the new radar system which is to replace the existing T93 well within five years.

So, the key objections from Coun Thorp's organisation SANE about the effect on tourism and the radar system were shown to have little or no basis in fact.

Rather than accidentally mislead Gazette readers in future, I suggest Coun Thorp reads the report before he comments further.
David Farrar,
Swansfield Park Road,
Alnwick