I find it astonishing that the Echo, our local newspaper, should try to compare Margate with Bournemouth.

Only last year, the respected Centre for Social Justice think tank produced a widely publicised report ‘Turning the Tide’ which looked at UK seaside resorts in decline.

All, coincidentally, have wind farms. Margate was described as follows: ‘Renowned in the early 19th century as the ‘most fashionable and frequented watering place in the kingdom’, ... Margate is today in an advanced state of decline.

‘Now more commonly known for high levels of deprivation, child poverty, drug addiction and educational failure, Margate has been struggling to stay above water since the 1960s’.

Our home town, Bournemouth, on the other hand, was glowingly praised: ‘Many seaside towns are still flourishing. Bournemouth ..... In particular (has) successfully retained significant tourist industry’.

The fact that Margate has been selected as a safe seat for anti-wind farm UKIP leader Nigel Farage to contest in the 2015 general election hints at huge public dissatisfaction within the town.

Add to this the fact that Margate’s wind farm is only one third of the size of the Navitus monster, and the town doesn’t boast a UNESCO natural world heritage site, and the comparison therefore becomes utterly meaningless.

These are some of the reasons why record numbers of local people, tourists, businesses, councils, NGOs and top environmental groups like the National Trust are opposed to Navitus Bay and will fight it all the way.

Philip Dewhurst
Poole & Christchurch Bays’ Association
Address supplied