ON Wednesday, September 5 at Tiverton, the Mid Devon District Council Planning Committee will be asked to make a decision which, for local residents, will make life quite literally intolerable, as well as changing for ever the tranquility of a small Mid Devon valley.

A landowner (who lives miles away) has applied for a wind turbine, undoubtedly the first of many.

The planning department insists that in making the decision it uses only three criteria: visual impact, the environment and benefit to the community.

A visit to the MDDC planning website shows a shoal of well researched responses from locals showing that without question the proposal would:

• Have a truly appalling, overpowering visual impact (huge industrial, noisy structures stuffed into a tiny valley);

• Cause certain damage to the environment and the rich wildlife there (owls various, two bat colonies, several raptors, migrating birds etc);

• Damage the local community - established holiday let business would look at wind turbines, not the valley. Local organic farmers would be adversely affected and at least three properties will hear them.

One property, the closest, will have a view of the turbine that is intolerable and the noise will be 24/7.

It is proposed that the turbine must run non-stop so that the locals can get used to the noise.

But all the above criteria-related evidence and a great deal more, has been ignored by the planning officer who has recommended that the application should be granted.

Yet the only person to benefit is a man who doesn't live there and the company making the application. Also ignored is the data that there is not enough wind so a motor will then be used to power it - 24/7 don't forget.

We hear how lucky we are to live in a democracy; to have planning departments who listen to local opinion and to have this supported by the wonderful Localism act.

So why do we feel that right now it feels more like living under a powerful dictatorship at local level?

Maggie and

Tony Hills

Middlecott Cottage

Morchard Bishop