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Public Attitudes to Windfarms: A Survey of Local Residents in Scotland
Chapter ONE background and introduction
1.1 The Scottish Executive is committed to increasing the amount of electricity generated from renewable sources, a commitment which is at the heart of measures to combat climate change.
1.2 The Scottish Executive has set a target of generating 18% of electricity from renewable sources by 2010, and 40% by 2020. The Scottish Executive believes that the 2010 target will be met mainly by hydro and onshore wind developments, but that after that date, other forms of renewables generation such as offshore wind and marine energy will play an increasing role.
1.3 The Scottish Executive Energy Policy Unit commissioned this study to investigate the views of people living in close proximity to existing windfarm sites in Scotland.
1.4 The overall objective of the research was to establish the views of local residents regarding the existence and proximity of their local windfarm. A number of specific issues were explored, including:
Visual impact
Noise from the turbines
Interference with television and radio
Environmental or ecological effect
Impact on house prices and other local economic factors
Disturbance during construction
Consultation prior to construction
Attitude to expansion of windfarm sites
1.5 It was important that the research was robust and presented a measure of opinion from a cross-section of windfarms and among people living at different distances from each windfarm, within a total zone of 20 kilometres.
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