Regarding the front-page story on urban wind turbines (The Argus, February 8), it was nice to see the Green Party finally backing Liberal Democrat calls for the promotion of micro-energy generation.

During the second reading of the Government's Climate Change And Sustainable Energy Bill in November, local Lib Dem MP Norman Baker called for better targets to cut carbon emissions, promote micro-generation and energy efficiency.

However, I am perturbed by the extent to which the wind turbines proposed by the Greens would blight the city's grand squares and streets.

These proposals also appear an expensive use of local taxpayers' money.

Of the two current types of roofmounted turbines, the estimated cost would be about £1,250, with further installation costs of £250.

So the Greens' proposed budget of £200,000 would, on this basis, only benefit 133 homes.

Surely the majority of residents would agree their money would be better spent on promoting citywide energy efficiency, rather than just on saving a few people some money.

A more sensible and progressive approach would be for local authorities to put pressure on the Government to introduce incentives for energy suppliers to develop energy-service contracts, which would enable existing householders to retrofit micro generators.

This would allow the upfront costs to be paid back through customers' bills for a period of time, rather than the local taxpayer having to foot the bill.

A first and bold step would be for our local council to introduce less obtrusive means of micro-generation into council buildings and for street lighting, thus reducing the burden on an increasingly overstretched taxpayer.

-Kevin Donnelly, Brighton and Hove, Liberal Democrats