The decision no to extend the life of Kirkby Moor windfarm must surely be one of the worst decisions by South Lakeland District Council in recent years (Gazette, December 7, 'Residents win turbines fight').

At a time when we desperately need as much sustainable energy production as possible the council has bowed to populism.

A source of clean, renewable power that has been providing fossil-fuel free energy for 25 years and capable of continuing with this for many more is to be destroyed.

We cannot continue with the farce of overwhelming public support for wind power on one hand, alongside the apparent equally overwhelming attitude of ‘not in my back yard’.

Climate change is the most urgent problem we need to deal with and already by some accounts is out of control. What is more important; the survival of the only planet we have or our ‘back yards’?

Every possible counter to this is valuable and to think at such a time of removing an already-existing windfarm is alarming, especially considering the precedent this could help to set elsewhere.

It is also equally baffling that another recent decision to allow Harlock Hill and Mean Moor Windfarms to replace the existing turbines with much larger ones was passed with apparently little objection and much public support. Planning gone mad or populism in control?

We need to start seeing wind turbines as things of beauty alongside all the other forms of sustainable, renewable energy production. Every other form - coal, oil, gas, nuclear - have huge environmental costs and these are the industries that need to be reduced.

The only environmental cost in wind turbines is in their manufacture. That cost has already been borne at Kirby Moor and if their lifespan was to be extended it would be all gain.

There is time to reverse this decision. We must take it.

Peter Howlett

The Green Party in Ulverston