I'VE been reading with interest the arguments about solar panel 'parks' and wind turbines and was even invited to vote in the poll 'Is the Forest of Dean a suitable place for turbines' with the emphasis that I should vote no.

Firstly I think the question is incorrect. I can see why people don't want turbines within the vicinity of  their homes but that doesn't mean the Forest should be ruled out as a whole.

I am sure that when pylons where first introduced many people were not best pleased with these eyesores spoiling the countryside and yet they wanted electricity. The point is that you need to make sacrifices.

These leads me on to my second point which seems to have had little coverage by the paper, plans for the Severnside airport between Chepstow and Newport.

Although the idea was rejected in 2003 the plans have been raised again. What would that mean for the Forest?

Well apart from noise and an increase in low flying aircraft the area that they are talking about has a lot of pylons which I imagine will have to be moved, but to where? Through the Forest?

Then of course we have the nuclear power station at Oldbury. How is that not going to be a blot on the landscape?

Just because it is not in the Forest doesn't mean it will not affect us. It seems that Oldbury will need four cooling towers, each could be up to 200m high.

They claim the site will 'probably' be protected by flooding and then there is the storage of nuclear waste for at least 150 years.

I have taken this information from http://www.oldburynuclearviewpoint.org.uk">www.oldburynuclearviewpoint.org.uk. But what happens if/when something goes wrong?

When I was at school we were made to watch a BBC Drama called 'Threads' which tells of a nuclear war on Sheffield  and its effects.

It is chilling at the very least! If  a nuclear war or accident were to happen the effects would be catastrophic. All the talk about turbines destroying the tourism and a drop in house prices  would seem laughable!

The government would have a very big problem on their hands not just with the immediate effect but the ongoing medical and environmental problems that would occur.  I would much rather have solar panels and turbines in well suited places than nuclear power.

Maybe those in government should watch 'Threads' before cutting subsidises to green energies? While it would mean not lining the pockets of energy companies it would allow us to be self supporting and surely that is what makes us 'Great Britain'?

– Obser­­ver, Sedbury.