I WRITE in response to your article last week regarding the plans of Vantage Point to create an "energy orchard" of solar panels on farm land bordering the site. Well, if these plans attain fruition the site will certainly stand out from other businesses in more ways than one!

I have every respect for Mr Bennett in taking a risk by purchasing the former Xerox site. What a massive undertaking – one which secured some jobs at a time when the site could have been at risk of falling into a derelict monster – what an eyesore that would have been. Now, having saved the village from that, he wants to create a different monster – with the support of a local farmer – in the form of an "energy orchard".

It will be the first thing anyone sees as they approach the village, being highly visible from Plump Hill, Dean Common and Lea. It will be visible in varying degrees from all over the village. It will impact severely on residents on a housing estate directly opposite in respect of the glare from the panels and aesthetically. There are already several thousand panels installed on top of some of the buildings on the site and the glare from them is quite intense at times.

The local residents who attended the meeting at Vantage Point were the lucky few who had got to hear of this gathering taking place and went out of concern for a number of aspects regarding this proposed development.

It was, however, a struggle to get straight, informative answers. The display consisted of an A3 map of the area and a few photocopies of other energy orchards in the country and was totally inadequate. Certainly there was no wide general discussion regarding "local community schemes".

Mitcheldean, as a village and community, has put up with a lot over the years in return for the provision of jobs and many people in the community and wider county as well as local businesses have had a good living out of that site. The cost has been constant noise and traffic congestion through the village at a degree which many large towns would struggle to absorb at times. Houses were built to accommodate and welcome new people who took up jobs at Xerox. Many embraced and enhanced village life as they got involved in local organisations and made valuable contributions to them. They relished living in an environment surrounded by green fields – as did and do – people who have lived here all their lives.

It would be easy to say "this project is only going to take away one field". However, the position of that field is the issue.

Concerned residents, I feel sure, would welcome any initiative which preserves and possibly extends job opportunities and if installing 14,000 solar panels is the answer then we would be mad to object. The point is though, that the installation of the panels is not the issue – the proposed location for the installation is.

– Concerned, Mitcheldean.