I HAVE been very pleased to see the offshore wind farm back in public view in the Echo. I did strongly support it in 2015. I was very disappointed that there was then so much opposition from Bournemouth councillors.

Time and again we were told the wind farm would have a huge impact on Bournemouth tourist industry. But then what do we say to the huge impact on our towns by the tourist industry itself?

We have hundreds of hotels, they have over years driven up land and property prices in central Bournemouth. And the consequence of that, we lost our town centre swimming pool, twice, we lost the ice rink, and we lost the adult education centre.

In short, the commercial tourist industry took over our town, lock, stock, and barrel, many years ago.

And that means in summer huge congestion. Massive gridlock every time the tourist industry puts on a major event, not least the enormously polluting air show.

And this along with enormous pollution from hundreds of thousands of vehicles, major roads being worn out, endlessly having to be repaired, with tons of litter to clear from the beaches.

And, worse again, the “night-time economy”. The comfortable euphemism for all night drinking clubs, until 4 in the morning. All this having to be policed, with the costs to us the council tax payers.

So to all who oppose the wind farm, miles out at sea, as “industrialisation”, I say take a good look first at the huge damage the tourist industry does to our town.

Yes there are positives, and so too with the wind farm. Enormous positives with clean energy far into the future.

STUART FLEMMING

Alder Road, Poole