Letter: This thriving county must move forward
I must respond to the editorial 'Balance must be measured' (July 31), which said: "The visual damage wind turbines cause stretches to the horizon, ruining vistas and panoramas."
Firstly, 'visual damage' is a subjective matter and many people find wind turbines beautiful, graceful structures that often add visual interest to a landscape.
Wind farms are described as only offering "a modest contribution to our energy needs".
One can say the same of solar panels on the roof of a house, yet in Germany, which has more solar capacity than any other country in the world, its 1.3m installations generated nearly 40 per cent of the country's daytime electricity demand on July 7.
As the editorial reports, "there is the potential for controversy" with some people expressing their opposition but equally there are many supportive, as in the example of the two medium scale turbines proposed near Meadowley, near Bridgnorth.
Should those opposing this modest proposal make the effort to consider the Shropshire Community, Marches Local Enterprise Partnership and Sustainable Tourism strategies, they would see that the scheme fulfils many of their ambitions, helping the move to a low carbon economy, developing a social enterprise, and contributing to tourism.
If we want our children to grow up and stay we need a thriving county moving forward, not stuck in a lethargic, backward looking, false rural idyll – one that was actually created by human activity and not natural in any case.
Let us move forward positively in the 21st Century.
Robert Saunders
Telford
