I’M as keen on doing our bit for the environment as anyone. But I’m also a realist.

And being a realist means not dumbly following anything that comes along simply because someone in Government has labelled it “green”.

The proposed wind turbines at Wilton are a classic example of this.

The turbine blades make a continuous noise, they are visually intrusive and the need for enormous earthworks involving drainage and concrete means we reduce the ground’s capacity to absorb water at the very time others in the area are crying out for more flood protection, not less.

Wind turbines are a bit of a false dawn when it comes to green energy. We depend on them because when the wind doesn’t blow, the lights will go off.

There’s one more point.

We have a tremendously well run and important local jewel in the crown of Redcar near the proposed turbine site. It’s called Yearby Airstrip.

This is East Cleveland’s only publicly available runway.

The turbines could mean curtains for the airstrip – which has economic costs locally, as well as robbing us of a facility which is cherished and valued by many.

If you feel strongly enough to stand up for our area on this matter please, please get your objection letters in to Redcar and Cleveland council by April 1.

Together we can save our area from an idea which is uneconomic, unwelcome and unacceptable.

Sabrina Thompson, Redcar.