TO the north of the bypass between Bere Regis and Tolpuddle, on the highest and most prominent hill, has arisen a great white column rivalling that which supports Britain’s greatest sailor.

Guess what? Yes, it is a wind turbine, soon to be bedecked with its wings no doubt. Living in close proximity as I do, and accepting that I have been away for a week’s holiday, how did this occur without intensive local publicity?

My local shop informs me that there is also another one planned somewhere nearby, equally unpublicised.

The obvious question is, what benefit will one turbine bring to the “green” ambitions that our current government so vehemently desires?

I have no doubt that the owner of the land upon which this "monolith" is sited is rubbing his or her hands, as indeed will the company responsible for the structure be, but I doubt very much that one "windmill" here or there will obviate the need for even one conventional power plant.

Understand me well, this is not "nimby-ism". If we are to address the problems associated with global warming and the inevitable reduction of carbon based fuels, we will have to accept wind and solar farms, and dare I say it, nuclear power plants. But one unit stuck on top of a hill, in the midst of Dorset's World renowned Jurassic coast and close to Thomas Hardy's locations, will not in any sense alleviate this need.

Much as I personally dislike the idea of the offshore wind farm currently under discussion, given the need for carbon reduction, this is perhaps the lesser of two evils.

CHRIS VINER,Winterborne Kingston