WE would like to thank all the villagers who have contacted us following our letter on February 2, and we are grateful for your continued unwavering support.

Many of you asked us to reply to Moorland Energy spokesman Simon Mountford’s inaccurate statement that two-thirds of the village are either for or not against the proposed gas plant. The simple fact, Mr Mountford, is that the parish council survey figure of 81.9 per cent rejecting the gas plant was in fact a most conservative figure due to extenuating circumstances which came to light during September and October, 2010. These are:

1) The questionnaire delivery envelope was addressed to “The Occupier” and a lot of villagers threw it away thinking it was unsolicited mail!

2) Many households with two, three or four residents tell us that they and neighbours only returned one questionnaire as it was representative of all in the household.

3) In the last seven months we have not met a villager who does not have an opinion, and the majority say they are against the proposed gas plant in Hurrell Lane. We have found fewer than 30 residents in favour of the gas plant proposal thus far.

4) When we say an independent survey, we mean just that – exactly as the parish council has done. No more Bowles Green specials!

TAGS is asking the the National Park, Ryedale District Council and North Yorkshire County Council to organise a visit by planning committee councillors to the proposed site at Hurrell Lane and also view the site from Wilton, to see for themselves the impossibility of screening a massive gas plant.

Additionally, we are asking that councillors visit the proposed well head site at Cockmoor Plantation and a much more viable alternative site we propose, where 95 per cent of potential current risks are negated and which does not have all the other associated problems of Hurrell Lane.

Had Moorland Energy and Barton Wilmore Partnership carried out a full and proper survey of all possible sites in the area then they would have come to the same conclusions as us.

Instead, they adopted “the cheapest option site”, located on undesignated white land, five metres from a National Park boundary and far too close to arguably the prettiest village in the National Park.

It is our opinion that councillors on all three councils will not be “taken in” by Moorland’s spin, especially after a site visit proving our points to be correct, and that they will reject the ludicrous application.

Jerry Scarr, Dr Mike Pitt, Doug Finch, TAGS (Technicians Against Gas Site), Thornton-le-Dale