Sir, – How many Vale of Mowbray residents are actually aware of the serious intentions for a number of large commercial wind farms within this beautiful area, or indeed the catastrophic impact they will bring – not many I am sure.

The latest plans are for up to fourteen 145-metre turbines at Whitwell, not far from Kiplin Hall and Danby Wiske. This follows on from the already approved but not yet built four 132-metre turbines at Bullamoor, near Northallerton and existing proposals for seven 125- metre turbines between Appleton Wiske and Welbury.

It is hard to imagine from where in the vale these turbines will be anything other than incongruous, if not indeed, an inescapable dominating feature for tens of miles around.

The stunning views to and from the two national parks would never be the same again.

Residents need to join forces and fight back against the proposal at Whitwell and the wind developers who are like sharks in a feeding frenzy for the obscene subsidies awarded for desecrating our treasured countryside.

That fight has already started and readers are urged to visit the campaign website www.savemowbrayvale.co.uk.

GERRY SMITH, Ellingstring, North Yorkshire.

Move MPs Sir, – The Maria Miller business, coming five years after the MPs’ expenses scandal, points the way to two very quick easy and simple solutions.

Take away MPs’ housing allowances and give them grace and favour London apartments instead if their constituency is outside the Greater London area, beyond commuting distance.

Alternatively, move Parliament out of London altogether.

If Parliament and the civil service were moved out of London we would save a fortune in public expenditure. How much more disenchanted are people going to be with Parliament if we spend the planned £3bn or more on restoring the Palace of Westminster?

Parliament failed to regulate the banks. That caused our financial problems. If they have to meet outside London in future they may remember why.

NIGEL F BODDY, Fife Road, Darlington.