BARRY VAUGHAN, of Higherside, Higher Street, Dartmouth, writes:

Heartening to read about a renewed interest in water power as per your article in the paper recently, since for a couple of decades, this interesting subject has been laid to rest.

Thee is ample scope for Dartmouth to become self-sufficient in generating its own power, and really should, by its very position, support its own coal fired generating station, let alone concentrating on greener alternatives; there could be our own gas works as well – both supplied by the cheap sea transported coal floating by the mouth of the Dart weekly – coal always used to be brought in by ship. It still can be, if we can shake off the subtle shackles of big businesses.

If there is a group such as 'TRESOC' who are keen on redeveloping water power, then there is nothing more fruitful than restoring the tidal mill at Stoke Gabriel – true close to occupational therapy in practice, but is ideal to freshen up or teach one and all about the complexities of water power and particularly, matching a useful output to tidal times and people.

There are ample really good wind power sites all about Dartmouth, the snag at present, is the nation's thinking is still very much at the nursery stage – the present machines are not really suitable for steady generation or to harness winds in excess of strict limitation. But eventually, we shall progress to proper machines designed and built to capture all the energy as each weather system runs through.

That energy will be stored in high reservoirs as water is in existing pumped schemes and will be available in large amounts on demand – meaning huge wind power collections will be 'in the bag' as it were as wind turbines run full, ungoverned. The current generation of wind 'turbines' are not really suitable for grid generation, are essentially frail stand alone machines with severe limitations by design and history. We need to move on.

But the history of water power generally and on the Dart is bleak with many a good water turbine site abandoned – even at Totnes the restored undershot water wheel hardly ever turns, and is now broken. A wonderful Armfield 'River Class' water turbine scheme run by Dartington was decommissioned immediately after the passing away of its founder; the one at Staverton remains abandoned and empty; the ones at Buckfastleigh have long been dismantled (a 100hp and 30hp set). A dreadful sorry tale; the turbines did their job – but the humans didn't. And there you have the real cursing demise of water power – the jealous, vindictive human being..So dear enthusiasts – caution!