Local and National Public Opinion

The Pro Wind power lobby make much of the "support" of the "silent majority". As no-one really knows what the "silent majority" want, then DART suggest that a well informed "silent majority" would oppose wind power. Certainly the public who are concerned enough to register their opinion show overwhelmingly that they DO NOT want Wind Power Stations.

When the informed public are asked a Straightforward question - i.e:

"Do you want commercial wind power stations ('farms’) in the countryside?"

The majority answer with a resounding NO.

The figures below make a nonsense of the developers’ claim that “public opinion grows overwhelmingly in favour” of wind turbines, the more these industrial monsters spread like a virus over the beautiful countryside of the UK.

Further Poll results will be added as they become available...

• December 14th 2005: Sevenhampton Parish Council issued the following press release on Wednesday December 14th 2005 "Village says NO to turbines in ballot. The Villagers of Sevenhampton have given an emphatic thumbs down to two wind turbines in the parish. They were asked in a ballot if they would be in favour of the proposal to put up the turbines which would stand about 183ft high in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Over 300 ballot papers were issued in the postal ballot, conducted by the Electoral Reform Services on behalf of Sevenhampton Parish Council. More than 75% were returned. The voting was almost two to one against the proposal with 79 in support and 150 against (65%).



• April 21st 2005: VOTE RESULT - TELETEXT Page 348 Do you support more wind farms?” 1,137 Votes NO 71% YES 29%



• March 19th 2005: A Total of 346 objections (82%) have been lodged against plans to site another windfarm near Loch Awe, south of Oban. There have been 73 (18%) letters of support.



• February 10th 2005: The Rural Community Gateway for Scotland's online poll: What is the biggest issue facing rural Scotland today? 34% say Windfarms.



• January 22th 2005: The (Welsh) National Assembly received more than 1,700 representations to its Technical Advice Note 8 - TAN 8. It received response to a consultation on a planning issue in living memory, with 87% opposed to the expansion of commercial on-shore wind developments and the seven TAN 8 strategic areas. Only 8% were broadly in support, with the rest backing some parts of the document and opposing others.”



• January 11th 2005: RESIDENTS in Catworth have overwhelmingly voted against a wind farm - labeling the proposed 360ft high turbines "monsters". But 120 villagers (78%) voted to oppose the scheme at a poll on Thursday, even though the village could receive thousands of pounds from the earnings of the turbines. More than half the village came out to vote, with a 57 per cent turnout, with only 32 people backing the plan.



• January 2005: Cumberland News Online Poll: Should there be a windfarm at Whinash? Yes 22%: No 78%



• January 2005: Perth and Kinross councillors in total received 674 representations against the Drumderg wind power station plan and only 21 supporting it. Against the recommendation of Ian Sleith, the council's head of development and building control, councillors voted 8-2 to turn down the plan.



• December 23, 2004: A postal survey conducted by a group of local residents in North Petherwin has found that there is “overwhelming opposition” to a local company’s plans to build wind turbines in the parish. The result was a majority “no” to the idea of having “community” turbines in the parish. More than 250 replies were received - and results showed that 92% of respondents are opposed to the plan. Based on these findings residents are asking the local company to stop its plans for building turbines in what it says is a “community” project. Only 20 people responded in favour of the plan.



• December 2004: 88% of villagers were opposed to the plans for a wind power station in a survey of 80 households carried out by Guestwick Parish Meeting in respect of a wind power station at Skitfield Road in Norfolk.



• 2004: 88% of residents were against the proposed development by Lewis Wind Power (AMEC and British Energy) for the erection of 234 wind turbines in North Lewis, in a survey of over 1400 people in North Lewis undertaken by a local community group (North Lewis Survey Group).



• August 2004: Snowgoat Glen Community Council Poll (Scotland). Against Wind Power Stations 326 (79%); for 76(18%); 11 don't know. Turnout 44%.



• April 2004: 86% opposed to (Bushes Farm) Lower Winterborne project in the Lower Winterborne Parish Council poll.



• February 2004: 60% against wind power stations on the "Home Planet" programme, BBC Radio 4 on Feb. 19th. Feedback consisting of emails, letters and telephone calls in response to the previous week's programme registered a total of about 60% against.



• January 2004: 79% opposed Wind Power Stations In an Internet Poll run by Blackmore Vale Magazine.



• 2004: 55% (20,234 people) against wind power stations in the BBC Countryfile vote on the question " Would you be happy to have a wind turbine near your home?”.



• 2003 - From CLOUT (Conwy Locals Oppose Unnecessary Turbines) "Many of us did not object to the first application because, either we were never informed or we were led to believe it would remain a small scale operation. Once the turbines were built we were astonished at their size and visual impact. We are now dismayed to hear of plans for a huge expansion of the site by another 11 turbines!"



• November 2003: “Wind Turbines” came top of the list of the Country Life poll, "Readers’ 10 most hated eyesores".



• 2002: Edinbane, Skye, Letters of Objection: Against 177 (79%), for 46 (21%).



• January 1998: Letters 560 against, - letters for, 2, at Jordanston, Pembrokeshire where an application to erect 17 wind turbines was rejected by councillors, 15 votes to 1.



• Easter 1999: over 90% voted NO to more wind ‘farms’ in Montgomeryshire in a Windfarm Poll by “County Times”. This from a public who have real-life experience of wind ‘ farms’ and are now only too aware that in spite of their gigantic size, they produce a minute, insignificant and unreliable supply of electricity. In 1998, due to intense local opposition, an application to extend the 24-turbine Cemaes wind power station by the addition of 6 more turbines was called in for Public Inquiry. So, if we are to believe the claims of the wind industry, why weren't the local people clamouring for more wind turbines...?



• Summer 1997: 79% vote of NO to more wind power stations in Mid-Wales. - Windfarm Poll by the "County Times" with 781 responses.



• December 1997: Letters 780 against and 0 in favour(!), at Cold Northcott, Cornwall, (where they already had "real life" experience) councillors rejected the planning application for an extension to the existing wind power station by 25 votes to 9 showing a dramatic change of attitude since the first proposal.



• 1997: 813 letters against and only 3 in favour, at Davidstow Cornwall, where an application for a wind power station was overwhelmingly rejected.



• December 1997: 6 influential Conservation groups in Wales united to oppose a proposal for a wind power station on the Denbigh Moors, i.e: Council for National Parks, Campaign for Protection of Rural Wales, The National Trust,, Snowdonia National Park Society, The Ramblers, The RSPB. These groups opposed the application because they were representing their members.