THE Scottish Conservative Party should be applauded for calling for the implementation of a 2km exclusion zone between wind farms and settlements ("Call for ban on building wind farms near homes", The Herald, January 28).

However, to suggest that a single dwelling could not claim the same protection is worrying.

The limit which is already included in planning guidance, albeit ignored, clearly states the principle applies to houses within and outwith 2km of the proposed development regardless of whether they are single dwellings or part of a settlement and that is as it should be. Those living in outlying properties have a right to the same level of protection of their amenity as those living on the edge of cities, towns and villages.

As is usually the case, no mention is made of small and medium-scale turbine developments which are as much, if not more of, a concern than large-scale developments, with applications being submitted willy-nilly by unscrupulous agents which are inadequately assessed by our beleaguered planning departments to be approved and developed outwith areas of search on our greenbelt, closer to homes and in much greater numbers than their larger counterparts, due to the desperate desire of landowners to benefit from the highly lucrative feed in tariff.

Aileen Jackson,

Knockglass, Uplawmoor.