DESPITE strong local opinion against the construction of the two wind turbines near Olveston it was, nevertheless, disappointing to see the application turned down.

There is an ever-growing need for this country to produce more renewable energy and become much more self-sufficient when it comes to producing energy.

As has been shown particularly clearly in recent weeks, a reliance on fossil fuels is a short-sighted and dangerous situation to be in.

Despite the turbines only contributing a small part of South Gloucestershire Councils targeted levels of renewable energy production, it is a part nonetheless.

From settlements a few miles away such as Almondsbury, the visual impact and shown in the photo montages produced at the meeting would be minimal and in comparison with the Severn bridges virtually non-existent.

Wind turbines are something that would become part of the landscape in a very short time.

Concerns about the amount of traffic which would be required for the construction of the turbines are understandable, at peak time the development would bring a HGV up the country roads every 10 minutes for eight hours a day for several months. However, when looking at what is a very long-term development, these concerns shouldn’t have any real bearing on the outcome.

The fact that the UK is so far behind most of Europe in terms of its development of renewable energy sources is a stark warning that this country is so unprepared for the inevitable and rejecting so many of these developments is incredibly short-sighted.