See what impact wind farm has on village residents

THANK you for the report, "Tilting at turbines set to continue in Court of Appeal" (October 7). I am disappointed, however, that none of the photographs taken during the course of the interview were used to illustrate the extent of the visual impact of the wind farm on the village of Blue Horizon Bay.

Because the implications of various impacts consequential to the visual impact are potentially severe I trust that you will use the attached photographs to inform your readers of just how visually invasive the presence of the turbine structures really are.

The first photograph (top left) shows the initial view that confronts residents and other travellers to Blue Horizon Bay and the Van Stadens Resort on the only road from the N2 to either of these destinations. This was previously a pristine and unspoilt area.

It had earlier been recognised by the environmental assessment practitioner for the wind farm project, in its draft conservation and assessment plan 2007 as well as in its draft bioregional plan dated December 2010, both for the NMBM, as critical biodiversity areas and critical ecosystem process areas, and that formal conservation protection should be obtained for these areas. It is rather strange, to say the least, that this same EAP was involved in the environmental impact report that provided the basis for the environmental authorisation obtained for the construction of the wind farm.

The other photograph illustrates the impact on residential areas within Blue Horizon Bay.

I believe, therefore, that these photographs and this letter help to show your readers why Blue Horizon Bay residents feel sufficiently aggrieved and let down by the relevant authorities to take the legal steps referred to in The Herald report.

Bob Bell, Blue Horizon Bay