‘Visitors don’t mind wind farms’

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Wind and solar farms have become an accepted part of the Cornish landscape and can even enhance the visitor experience, according to a new survey of holidaymakers in Cornwall.

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The research, conducted throughout the peak holiday month of August, found that for the majority of visitors the presence of wind and solar farms in Cornwall had no impact on their visit.

Furthermore, more people said both wind and solar farms had a positive impact on their holiday compared with those who said they had a negative impact.

Asked whether the presence of wind and solar farms would make a difference to their decision to visit Cornwall again, more than nine out of ten (94%) said they would make no difference whatsoever, while 4% of holidaymakers said they would actually encourage them to visit again and 2% said they would be less likely to visit again as a result.

The risk of poor weather (17%) and the cost of holidaying (14%) were cited as the biggest potential deterrents to future visits, compared with just 2% of visitors saying the presence of wind and solar farms was likely to deter them from taking another holiday in Cornwall in the future.

The findings come from what is believed to be the first major survey of its kind into holidaymakers’ attitudes to renewable energy schemes in Cornwall, and the potential impact on visitor perceptions and the leisure economy.

The independent research, carried out by the Exeter-based South West Research Company, was commissioned by green electricity supplier Good Energy, following concerns about the potential impact of wind and solar farms on the visitor economy in popular holiday destinations like Cornwall.

Visitors were asked about their attitudes towards renewable energy, levels of awareness of wind and solar farms in Cornwall, and the extent to which these developments affected the visitors’ enjoyment of their holidays and their willingness to visit again in the future.

Jessica Knowles, head of stakeholder engagement at Good Energy, which owns the Delabole wind farm in north Cornwall, said: “What this research shows is that for the vast majority of people the presence of wind and solar farms in Cornwall has no impact on their visitor experience, and that around one in five people feel that they actually enhance their visit.”

The research found that 80% of visitors were in favour of renewable energy in general as a means of generating power, with around three-quarters supporting wind farms (74%) and solar farms (75%) specifically as ways of doing this.

Of the 90% of visitors who were aware of wind farms in Cornwall, 71% said the presence of turbines had no impact on their visit, while almost one in five (19%) said wind farms had a positive impact on their visit compared with 10% who said they had a negative impact.

Just over a third (35%) of visitors were aware of solar farms in Cornwall of whom 71% said their presence had no impact; 22% said there was a positive impact, and 7% said they had a negative impact.

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3 COMMENTS

  1. For those of us under the age of 40 and living in Cornwall wind farms provide a great opportunity for employment as well as doing something about climate change – a double win. As this survey shows the majority of tourists don’t care about windfarms and is only problem for people with nothing to do with their days who have been whipped up into a fury by the Msil. Cornwall is increasingly in danger of becoming a ‘London retiree Disneyland’ with no opportunities for young people except serving them afternoon tea or cleaning their rooms for them. Cornwall’s young people deserves better than this with wind, wave, solar and biomass renewables being part of the solution.

  2. A survey… now there’s something we can believe in !!!
    It was commissioned by a wind turbine company….what results would you expect ???

    I’m old enough to remember ‘independent surveys’( commissioned & paid for by big tobacco ), where 90% of doctors agreed smoking was harmless.

    If you ask 100 people –
    “Is being exposed to nuclear radiation a good thing ? Yes or No ”
    You will get 99% NO.

    BUT
    If you select your respondents & ask 100 cancer patients
    You will get 99% YES

    Remember the “97% of ALL scientists agree in AGW” survey ….
    The lie that the greens keep quoting, –

    From a total of 61,000 earth scientists, 10,257 were selected for the survey. Of these 3,146 responded. 3,095 responses were deemed to be unsuitable, leaving 77 people in the survey. Of these, 75 (97%) thought that humans contributed to climate change.
    Actually, 75 of 61,000 members = 0.12%.

    • 75 of 77 equals 97.40%

    • 75 of 3,146 is 2.38%.

    • 75 of 10,257 contacted is 0.73%.

    • 75 of 61,000 members is 0.12%.

    So at best, the data supports only 2.38% agreeing Global Warming is manmade …
    although the figures suggest it’s less than 1%, hardly a 97% consensus !!

    See more – http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/07/18/about-that-overwhelming-98-number-of-scientists-consensus/

    Trouble is we don’t know the survey methodology, all we do know it was carried out on behalf of a company trying to install wind turbines.

  3. This is absolute nonsense , A report recently produced clearly states that it did not take long for 40% of visitors to Denmark and northern germany to go elsewhere.
    A recent ruling by the UN has stated that Britain has flouted article 7 of the Aarhus convention which requires public consultation on Environmental issues. The complaint brought by Christine Metcalfe an Argyll councillor was upheld.

    This is a game changer , planners will no longer be forced to disregard local feelings

    The biggest danger facing the North Cornwall landscape in my lifetime is being conducted on an industrial scale. Any one passing the Halfway House will notice the Hill near the Seven Sisters is being defaced by a road in order to get even bigger Turbines to St Breock downes. This will also be visible from the Camel estuary.
    Our countryside is to precious to be left to the whims of waring politicians and green idealist. Just remember So called green energy companies can only exist if they can continue to rape cornwall, so “Visitors like turbines and solar panels” ,well they would say that wouldn’t they.

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