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Reference

Novar Residents Survey

RBA, July 1998

A cluster of turbines at the Novar Estate wind farm

This survey carried out among people living near to the 34 turbines of Novar wind farm in the hills north of Inverness followed the trend seen in earlier surveys: 69% of those questioned were in favour of the development of wind power in the UK and 68% supported their 'local' wind farm.

The visual impact of a wind farm is often cited by the small but vocal anti wind farm lobby as a main source of public concern and objection, but the survey shows quite the opposite with a 68% majority feeling that the wind farm is acceptable in the landscape, and 11% saying that the wind farm makes the scenery more interesting! Equally, more people thought the turbines graceful than ugly.

The Survey

Robertson Bell Associates (RBA) was commissioned by National Wind Power Limited to conduct an independent, objective and dispassionate survey among the residents living near to the Novar Estate wind farm, near Alness, Scotland. The key objective of the research was to assess opinions of local residents towards the Novar wind farm.

In all, between 13th June-1st July 1998, 203 interviews were carried out among people living near Novar Estate. These included residents from the towns and villages of Alness, Ardross, Evanton, Invergordon and settlements along the north coast of the Black Isle.

All fieldwork and data processing was carried out by RBA.

A turbine of the Novar Estate wind farm

Summary of main findings

These results are based upon 203 face-to-face interviews, carried out in homes near the Novar Estate wind farm.

  1. More than two in three residents (68%) say they support the Novar Estate wind farm, including 32% who say they strongly support it. Only 3% say they oppose the wind farm. The remainder (29%) say 'no opinion either way'.
  2. Support is also evident for the principle of wind farm development - more than two in three (69%) say they support the development of wind power schemes in Great Britain, including 32% who say they strongly support it. Only 2% say they oppose wind power development - the remainder (29%) say 'no opinion either way'. The most common benefits spontaneously identified are that 'wind power is clean and non-polluting' (56% say this) and 'is a natural source of energy - always there' (mentioned by 42%).
  3. Among residents who are aware of alternative sources of energy to gas, coal and oil, nine in ten (89%) say more electricity should be generated by renewable sources of energy (8% say 'don't know').
  4. More than two in three of those interviewed (68%) are able to mention at least one way in which the Novar Estate wind farm has benefited the local area, with only 10% saying there are no benefits.
  5. Three in four residents (76%) cannot think of any drawbacks with the wind farm, (54% say Novar Estate wind farm has had no negative effects on the local are and a further 22% say 'don't know'). Of those who identify drawbacks, the most commonly mentioned is the visual impact of the wind farm, spontaneously mentioned by 15%.
  6. On being asked how they think the wind farm fits into the countryside, residents are most likely to 'it is acceptable (68%), with 11& saying 'it makes the scenery more interesting' and 12% saying 'it spoils the scenery'. Of the turbines themselves, more describe them as 'graceful' (11% say this) than describe them as 'ugly' (8% say this) with most (70%) saying they are 'acceptable'.
  7. Even when residents are prompted with different ways in which the Novar Estate wind farm may affect the local area, many people perceive the wind farm as having had very little impact. Residents perceive the greatest effects to have been an increase in the local economy (28% say this). In regard to house prices, almost three in four (72%) say the wind farm has had no effect, with a further 26% saying 'don't know'. None of the respondents say house prices have decreased as a result of the wind farm. Indeed, 1% say house prices have increased a little because of the wind farm.
  8. In terms of the number of people visiting the area, a majority (62%) say the wind farm has had no effect. One in six (16%) say visitor numbers have increased whilst no one thinks that visitor numbers have decreased as a result of the wind farm.
  9. More than four in five (83%) say they are very or fairly concerned about environmental issues, with only 5% saying they are not at all concerned.
  10. In terms of environmental issues on a wider scale, local people hold a number of concerns. In all, 92% are able to mention at least one environmental issue that concerns them. The main environmental concerns of local residents are air pollution (64% say this concerns them), pollution of the sea/beaches (62%), pollution of rivers/streams (mentioned by 58%), nuclear power/waste (54% say this), litter/recycling (52%) and global warming/greenhouse effect (50%). Only 4% say they do not have any environmental concerns.

Dr John Green, Energy Projects Manager with Friends of the Earth Scotland welcomed the findings of this survey and commented that:

"This strong majority support for Novar wind farm follows similar patterns of support shown for wind farms elsewhere in the UK. It is time for policy makers to realise that where schemes are sited in a sensitive way the vast majority of people are in support of wind power."

WWF Scotland Policy Officer, Martin Mathers, further stated that:

"The clear message from the Government is that global warming is not going to go away and that we need to act now to tackle the potentially devastating effects or run the risk of leaving a legacy of environmental problems for our children. Wind power is part of the solution, and as this survey once again shows, people support the development of wind power in the UK."