ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

The campaign of lies and bullying has been going on for months.

It started when Scottish Power Renewables announced that they were considering my local area as a potential site for up to ten wind turbines.

Now, the UK is the windiest country in Europe (we get 40% of Europe's wind passing over our shores). Prevailing south-westerly winds head straight up the Severn Vale from the Bristol Channel. At the top of the Severn Vale, they pass over my village and the nearby hills. So, it's pretty well the perfect spot for a modest-sized windfarm.

But there's a problem. Wealthy people have bought themselves nice little houses in the nearby villages. They believe in something called 'unspoilt countryside' (a strange concept at the best of times). More to the point, they don't want 'their' views affected by a graceful and necessary piece of modern technology.

Their campaign group, VVASP ('Vale Villagers Against Scottish Power') claim, rather bizarrely, that they are PRO renewable energy, just not in their backyard.

To begin with, VVASP was just a small band of local nutters with too much time and money on their hands. But a sustained campaign of lies, wild rumours, ridiculous exaggerations and lunatic speculations, combined with intimidation and bullying, has dragged more and more people into the group.

What do these people have against windfarms?

Er, nothing, really. They just don't want one near their nice expensive houses.

What depths will they stoop to?

Any. They have lied to their friends and bullied their neighbours. They have misrepresented the scientific facts. They have peddled nonsensical myths about wind turbines. They have threatened parish councillors. They have cluttered up the local villages with their stupid signs. They have deliberately set out to scare, frighten and coerce people into joining their selfish and irresponsible campaign. They are not interested in democracy or debate. They will not tolerate other opinions. They are simply determined to have their own way, whatever the cost.

Now they're spreading their campaign of lies further afield. Partly, no doubt, this is because they have realised that one small bunch of privileged crazies does not a proper pressure group make. More to the point, they need to con money out of more people.

They want to hire a BARRISTER to fight this sensible, valuable, necessary proposal. They SERIOUSLY think that the next British government (which they assume will be a Tory government) will reverse the UK Government's renewable energy policy. If they can WASTE enough time and money, they actually believe that they can stop the windfarm being built.

Forget about the planet. Forget about our ever-increasing energy needs. Forget about the problems of oil, coal, gas and nuclear. Forget about future generations. Forget about society's needs. This is only about them. About their selfishness, their intolerance, their belief that they own the countryside. This is about mob mentality. This is about people with time and money believing that they are exempt from responsibilities.

Theirs is the generation which has taken and taken and taken, which has wasted valuable resources without a thought to the future, which doesn't care about THE environment, only about THEIR environment. No wonder they think the Tories are on their side!

It would be a tragedy if their disgraceful tactics were to succeed. Opting out of a renewable energy future is not an option. Lies and intimidation are not legitimate debate. Selfishness and stupidity are not the way forward.

Do you have experience of similar nonsense in your local area?

Share your views. And let's not let those red-faced dimwits in VVASP, or their clones elsewhere in the country, shatter our futures for the sake of their own greed and foolishness.

The fightback starts here! The fightback starts now!