Sir, – I refer to the letter (D&S Sept 3) from David Hartley, Wensleydale Creamery’s managing director, and welcome the success of the dairy in Hawes, and the part it is playing in attracting increasing numbers of visitors to what he rightly describes as, “this beautiful region”.

What a pity then that the dairy’s ad hoc approach to development seems intent on detracting from that beauty for, besides the hotch potch of discordant buildings, Nissen huts and portable buildings, not to mention miles of exposed pipes and cables, we now have the latest eyesore, the new chill storage unit, which is set to completely dominate the footpath that runs along Gayle Beck between Hawes and Gayle.

Although there may be valid reasons for placing the dairy’s tallest structure on one of the highest parts of the site, the effect for anyone heading west along the Gayle Beck footpath is that the once splendid views up to Dodd Fell will be replaced by the vast, blank, side of a very large shed.

A more environmentally sympathetic execution of the dairy’s development strategy would not go amiss. It should be seen to be doing its bit to protect the area’s beauty and not just exploiting it as a marketing tool.

D EMMERSON Kirkbride’s Way Hawes.