LOSING PERSPECTIVE

'There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.' - Hamlet

Last week, the first of two anemometers - wind monitoring masts - was erected in the area currently being examined as a potential wind farm site.

Naturally, the nimbies made sure that the local press were aware of their unhappiness about this. One of them - a scientist who, having retired, has put scientific principles firmly behind him - described the slimline mast as 'absolutely astonishing'. Another noted that the mast is 'quite visible from Church Lench'.

So there you are. Something is 'quite visible' from somewhere. It's the end of the world as we know it.

There had, of course, been objections to this temporary mast, none of which was sufficient to convince the local planning committee - probably because it was clear that the objectors had very little idea as to what they were objecting about. One even complained that the only information she was receiving about the masts came from VVASP, which is a bit like saying, 'I'm only getting information about this from the Daily Mail, so obviously I'm going to jump to some bizarre conclusions.'

Now, to be honest, I've always had my doubts about these wind-measuring masts. Consultants employed by ScottishPower Renewables have been conducting wildlife surveys in the immediate area for over a year. The sites of the proposed Lenchwick windfarm weren't just plucked out of a hat: the company behind the plans has been looking into this for some time. The decision to erect two anemometer masts just a month or two before the planning application for the windfarm is expected seemed a little late in the day to me.

I'm not saying that the anemometers serve no purpose whatsoever, but I have been wondering to what extent the masts are really there to measure something else altogether. They're part of a process of finding out just how stupid the protesters are.

I caught a passing glimpse of the anemometer mast at the weekend, and almost instantly lost sight of it. I suppose 'quite visible' is a good way of putting it. It's not exactly obtrusive - unless, of course, you're pretty unhinged and looking for an excuse to complain.

But if the purpose of the mast - at least in part - is to measure local levels of nimbyism and idiocy, you have to admit that it's worked. ScottishPower Renewables now have a pretty good idea of the specious arguments, the kneejerk nonsense and the general frothing at the mouth they can expect when the real planning application for a wind farm is submitted.

They now know that VVASP is incapable of mounting an intelligent and honest campaign and that their capacity for objectivity is nil.

So maybe the anemometers aren't really there to monitor the wind. They're there to measure hot air. And there's plenty of that in the district these days.