Mark Fox waxes lyrical about Kelda Water’s “extremely positive”, engagement with Draughton and Addingham residents over the proposed new turbines at Chelker (Letters, October 21). I dare say he would. He may even believe his own company’s propaganda.

The real community engagement will come from Craven & District Council if and when Kelda makes a formal planning application. With great respect to Mr Fox, who I’m sure is doing his best to work to a ropey brief, my own experience of his company’s campaign is that it is both shambles and sham.

First. Why were almost all Kelda’s leaflets and letters distributed in Addingham alone? The Chelker site is entirely in Draughton parish. Most households affected directly are in Draughton parish. It was only after our Parish Council demanded that its own residents receive this information that Mr Fox himself hand-delivered some leaflets to some houses in our village. I can say this because I spoke to him at the time. But just how many Draughton and Beamsley residents have been contacted is a mystery.

Second. Why was the company’s presentation held at Bracken Ghyll Golf Club? Only 60 or so people are said to have visited over two days, but I suppose that’s a pretty good number considering the lack of publicity and the inaccessibility of the venue for Draughton, Beamsley, and a good many Addingham residents. I did take the trouble to go, and made a small but pointless contribution to global warming as a result. There was one other visitor while I was there (a golf club member). All I learned was that Kelda staff and their Arup associates enjoy a good game of golf? There is nothing wrong with that, but I do wonder how the club members will react if they find three 260-foot turbines at the top of their course.

So far, all Kelda’s so-called “consultation” seems to have managed to do in these parts is to make a lot of people angry. That may have some bearing on why our parish council’s survey found that 95 per cent supported their Chelker neighbours in opposition to the plans. In particular, people have not forgotten that Kelda and Arup between them have “form” at Chelker. If Kelda were as serious about “engaging closely” with the community as Mr Fox claims, they would have brought their presentation here and to Beamsley and Addingham villages, and made serious attempts to address community concerns rather than dismissing local residents’ worries as “presumptuous”.

Christopher Walker

Draughton, Skipton