Public Attitudes and Community Participation in Windfarm Development

Windfarm construction in Scotland has increased with §government support for renewable energy in reducing §reliance on fossil fuels and their environmental §impact. However, communities and conservation groups §have debated the appropriateness of wind power to do §this. This thesis assesses the scope of public §perception and participation within wind farm §development. In summary individuals and groups were §found to justify their opinions for or against wind §power using a number of arguments although their §attitudes were frequently driven by aesthetic §considerations of contemporary land use. The most §notable example of this was landscape quality and §its related influence on house prices. Thus, §acceptability of wind power changed from site to §site depending on the local land use context and §perceived socio-economic impacts or benefits. §Environmental expert perceptions held that public §attitudes towards wind power were more negative and §self-interested than was the case when public §participation was sought. Fundamentally, public §attitudes became positive with traditional designs §or as familiarity with the standard industry §approaches increases.