John Tanner says, “I hope people in the Oxford area will be able to point to our first full-scale wind turbine with pride” (Oxford Mail January 20). But it is far more likely that if the wind turbine is ever built they will say: “What fools we were to allow this inefficient monstrosity to blight Oxford.”

Before the PfR company undertakes tests on wind patterns, they should consult the literature which will tell them all they need to know. There are few places in Britain less suitable for wind turbines than Oxfordshire.

Those in favour of wind turbines love to tell us how many homes would be powered by the turbine. But they always quote a figure which applies to optimum conditions.

Ask them how much electric power was generated by wind turbines in the recent cold spell when there was little or no wind for days on end and the turbines stood stock still.

It was the same 12 months ago, when electric power demand was at a peak. The wind turbines provided almost nothing.

In December 2010, our 3,000 wind turbines contributed no more than one per cent of the National Grid’s requirements.

Mr Tanner seems to think that windpower will help mitigate global warming (or climate change, as he calls it).

Can he not see that if even if windpower eventually supplies as much as 10 per cent of our power requirements, we need back-up from gas, oil, coal, hydro and nuclear – so the impact on global warming will be negligible.

Furthermore, even if the UK discharged no carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, the impact worldwide would pale into insignificance when compared with what India and China discharge.

Mr Tanner believes that wind power is cheap. In truth, the cost per unit is a factor of three greater than that of nuclear power.

Without the massive government subsidies, nobody would build wind turbines. And does he not know that it is us, the consumers, who are paying that subsidy. There was a time when the Lib Dems were opposed to nuclear power, but even Chris Huhne now sees the folly of that.

The foolishness of building wind turbines on inland areas of Britain is at last being realised.

I hope Mr Tanner and his supporters will see sense before it is too late.

DR JOHN SANDALLS Locks Lane Wantage