happened, as Wiltshire Council considers, for the first time in this county, a planning application for a giant wind turbine, to be erected at Thoulstone, Chapmanslade, near Warminster.

This industrial monstrosity will be 87.5 metres (285 feet) high at the blade tips.

For comparison, this might equate to a 28-storey skyscraper (except skyscrapers are stationary) and will be an extremely tall, constantly-moving, desecration of the Wiltshire/Somerset border country, and will be seen for miles around.

The calm, timeless nature of this area will be lost forever.The visual impact of these monstrous, ever-moving machines on our heritage countryside is truly devastating.

In particular, Cley Hill is a historic and very special place, but the wonderful view from the top will now be ruined, as will the enjoyment of seeing the hill from numerous viewpoints in the area.

Scientists are increasingly concerned about health problems caused by "amplitude modulation", an unpleasant low-frequency noise created by wind turbines, that penetrates walls and roofs, and which can have long-term health effects on people as well as interfering with sleep.

The latest research suggests that it may actually cause deafness, even though the level of sound may be too low to be heard by the human ear.

The wind industry consistently denies that birds are at risk from giant turbine blades (which, remarkable as it may seem, can be moving at 200mph at the tips), but the reality is very different.

Only this week it has been reported that in the case of bats, it appears they are in fact attracted towards turbines, believing them to be trees, resulting in thousands of the creatures being killed every year, as their lungs are destroyed by the vacuum created by turning blades.

Renewable energy from wind turbines is grossly inefficient, relies on consumer-subsidy (i.e. us) for its very existence, and is a complete nonsense in economic terms.

Across Wiltshire many farmers and landowners are preparing similar projects and there will soon be a plethora of wind turbines wherever one looks.

It is essential that as many objections as possible are submitted to Wiltshire Council. Please, please, make your views known (give planning reasons) by writing NOW to Planning Development Management, Wiltshire Council, County Hall, Trowbridge, BA14 8JN, quoting planning application reference 14/08778/FUL or online.

Every objection received will help make a difference.

Ian Welch,

Westbury