A CRIMBLE (Letters, April 27) asks why the new power station will use palm oil. The answer may be that the original plans were set out a while ago.

The fact is that the Government has been slow to provide much guidance and only published a woodfuel strategy on March 28 this year.

Hampshire is a wooded county but our woodlands are under-managed and the forestry industry is increasingly becoming recreation managers, not productive foresters.

Woodfuel is a carbon lean source of renewable energy and stimulating a sustainable woodfuel industry will generate economic opportunities in the region and contribute to halting the decline in biodiversity of our woodlands.

Modern automated systems using woodchip or pellets are highly efficient, and some forward looking councils, such as Barnsley, are installing wood fuelled systems in schools and council run buildings.

I would ask the council to consider this approach.

It would require some commitment to generate the necessary infrastructure but the benefits would be well worth the effort in my view.

STEVE REED, Holbury.