‘Don’t trot out the old 
argument on turbines’

And, almost as an afterthought, he writes, “We are keen that the impact on people near to any proposed plant be minimised” - and here’s the rub - ‘where possible’.

‘Green’ Matthew is a master of understatement when he pronounces in his letter to the Star recently: ‘Due to its proposed size, it is likely that the Ravarnet wind turbine will be visible to some of the local community’.

It certainly will! Basically, tough luck on anyone living within miles of this monstrous carbuncle!

It is two thirds the size of the Goliath crane in Belfast shipyard at 218 feet high and will be visible not just to the residents of Ravarnet and Hillsborough - a conservation area - but also to most people living in the greater Belfast area.

And I don’t think Matthew will have any problem seeing it from his home in Moira either, but then he will probably appreciate the aesthetics of a huge, ugly turbine planked on an elevated site amid unspoilt County Down drumlin countryside.

The turbine will bring noise as well as sight pollution, a loud ‘whooshing’ sound in strong winds and problems of ‘flicker’ in the eyeline of local residents.

It could also affect TV reception of unfortunate residents living close by and is a hazard to wildlife. A resident buzzard population and a thriving local pheasant population will be just two of the bird species affected.

I don’t think the ‘Greens’ election campaign will be garnering many new converts in the Ravarnet area come the next poll.

From Rural Resident (name and address supplied)