DO readers realise that many of the rivers that flooded English towns and cities like Ludlow, Worcester and Gloucester, have their sources in the hills of Mid-Wales?

The Severn which flows through Shrewsbury, Worcester and Gloucester emanates from the hills of Plynlimon, east of Aberystwyth. So does the Wye, which flows through Hereford. The Teme which flooded Ludlow and joins the Severn at Worcester, is born in the hills south of Newtown, Powys.

Do readers also realise there are Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) proposals, called TAN 8, to erect hundreds of 400 ft high wind turbines for miles across these same Welsh hills? Each massive turbine will have a huge concrete platform below it. The turbines will also be served by many miles of metalled roads, all replacing highly absorbent peat, which currently acts like a sponge.

Therefore, the rate of run-off of water from these high rainfall hills into the Severn, Wye, Teme and many other "English" rivers, will be vastly increased, causing far more flash-floods downstream in England in future. Not only will huge areas around the main sources be affected, so will the myriad tributaries.

One TAN 8 wind turbine zone alone stretches over 15 miles north to south from Lake Vyrnwy to Carno. There are dozens of the Severn's tributaries in this area. The area near the source of the Severn at Plynlimon is a second TAN 8 zone. Again, the area south of Newtown, feeding the Teme and the Severn is yet a third TAN 8 zone covering many miles.

The long-suffering residents of these English towns and cities should write to Jane Davidson AM, Welsh Assembly, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, and to Powys County Council at Llandrindod Wells, Powys, to express their concerns at plans that will obviously greatly exacerbate their flooding problems in future. English city councils and county councils should also express opposition to TAN 8.

To have a taste of what WAG intends to do to the catchment areas of these mighty rivers, see www.visitwalesnow.org.uk. Most of the wind turbines currently in Mid Wales are only 150 ft high. Those proposed through TAN 8 are 400 feet, or treble the height and treble the width. Their concrete bases will therefore be much larger.

LYN JENKINS, Cardigan Island Coastal Farm Park, Gwbert, Cardigan, Wales.