Attitudes to Wind Farms in the Republic of Ireland A Survey of Domestic and Overseas Visitors, September /VB/SW

Transcription

1 Attitudes to Wind Farms in the Republic of Ireland A Survey of Domestic and Overseas Visitors, September /VB/SW

2 Content of Presentation Introduction and Objectives Research Method Sample Profile Research Findings: Impact of major developments on landscape Experiences of those who have seen a wind farm Impact of landscape type and turbine size on attitudes towards wind farms Overall support for continued construction of wind farms Summary & Conclusions 2.

3 Introduction & Objectives This presentation reviews the findings of a survey carried out by Millward Brown Lansdowne on behalf of Fáilte Ireland. According to a recent EWEA report, Europe will increasingly depend on wind energy to meet electricity demand, strengthen its economy and protect an environment already feeling the brunt of climate change caused by burning fossil fuels. Balancing the need to invest in wind energy as a nation for environmental/economic reasons with any detrimental effect wind farms might have on the visitor experience and therefore tourism revenue is a key concern of Failte Ireland and provides the context for this research. The 2007 research conducted by Millward Brown showed that the majority of visitors felt that wind farms had no impact/positive impact on the visitor experience. Now in 2012, after a period of development in the area of wind farms it is timely to repeat this study. The main objectives of this study were to: Gain a comprehensive view of visitors (both domestic and overseas) attitudes towards windfarms while on a holiday/short break in the Republic of Ireland. Understand how attitudes towards wind farms have changed since 2007, when this study was last conducted. The research will be used by Fáilte Ireland to inform discussions around wind farm planning in the Republic of Ireland. 3.

4 Research Method A questionnaire was developed between Millward Brown Lansdowne and Fáilte Ireland, where possible replicating questions from 2007 to ensure comparability of results vs Interviewing was conducted at Tourist Information Offices and visitor attractions around the country. Sampling was based on visitor numbers to tourist regions (excluding Dublin) and specific locations were chosen based on their proximity to wind farms. Data was weighted back to visitor proportions afterwards. Note that while comparisons are included versus 2007, the only difference in sampling was that Dublin was included in Quotas were set to ensure a mix of domestic and overseas visitors, also to ensure a good spread of Mainland Europe, UK and US visitors among the overseas quota. Sample size: 913 ROI visitors (699 in 2007, excluding Dublin interviews ). Fieldwork dates: 2012: 27 th August 21 st September 2007: 23 rd August 27 th September 4.

5 Sample Profile 5.

6 Sample Profile: profile of visitors slightly older, more male and fewer GB visitors Base: All ROI Visitors (913) GENDER Male (50) 58 SOCIAL GRADE AB (22) 32 Female (50) 42 C1 (44) 44 AGE C2 (20) (1) (13) (19) (18) (20) (18) (11) DE F COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE ROI NI GB Mainland Europe (10) (4) (25) (4) (23) (18) North America (23) 23 Other (8) (2007) n= Statistically significant difference

7 Profile of Visit: broadly similar to 2007 overall. 6 in 10 have engaged in activities. All ROI Visitors (913) VISIT TYPE PACKAGE HOLIDAY A city break (9) 10 Yes 24 A predominantly City/ Urban based holiday (9) 14 No 76 A predominantly countryside holiday (38) 30 FIRST VISIT TO IRELAND A city/urban and countryside holiday (43) 46 Yes 55 ACTIVITIES ENGAGED IN No 45 Fishing 5 TRAVELLING PARTY Cycling 10 Alone (9) 9 Hill-Walking/Hiking 40 Couple (47) 52 Watersports (e.g. swimming, sailing, wind-surfing) 10 Family (21) 17 Golf 6 Other Adult Part (23) 22 Other (specify) 11 None of these (2007) Statistically significant difference

8 County of Interview All ROI Visitors (913) Galway 18 Wexford 5 Munster 42 Kerry 18 Clare 3 Rest of Leinster 30 Cork 10 Donegal 3 Conn/Ulster 28 Limerick 8 Mayo 3 Meath 7 Tipperary 3 Westmeath 6 Louth 2 Kilkenny 5 Sligo 2 Offaly 5 Leitrim 1 8.

9 Impact of major developments on landscape 9.

10 Summary: Housing and wind farms have positive impact on landscape for 1 in 2, though some polarisation for wind farms. Mobile phone masts and pylons viewed overwhelmingly as negative. All ROI Visitors (913) Very positive Housing 20 Wind Farms 16 Mobile Phone Masts Electricity Steel Pylons (6) 16 5 (11) Fairly positive (47) (32) No Impact Fairly negative Very negative (25) (17) (50) (50) 10. Q.2 Firstly, what impact, if any, do you think the following developments have had on the Irish landscape? Statistically significant difference

11 Impact of housing on landscape: positive impact overall, negativity higher among domestic visitors and those on a countryside break All ROI Visitors (913) Housing Very positive Fairly positive (17) (30) (47) Higher Among Midlands East 57 Outdoor Activities 51 (No activity 45) Mainland Europe 55 Female 54 Domestic 41 Overseas 51 No Impact Fairly negative Very negative (26) (22) (4) (25) Higher Among Countryside break 23 WF s have impact on sightseeing 32 South West 22 Domestic 23 Overseas 16 (2007) 11. Q.2 Firstly, what impact, if any, do you think the following developments have had on the Irish landscape? Statistically significant difference

12 Impact of wind farms on landscape: increased polarisation of opinion in 2012, but those positively disposed outweigh any negativity All ROI Visitors (913) Very positive Fairly positive (9) (23) Wind Farms (32) Higher Among Wind farms have positive impact on future visit 76 West 56 C2 s 57 Saw WF on this visit 49 (vs 43 who have not seen) Domestic 47 Overseas 47 No. of Turbines Seen < No Impact (49) 23 Fairly negative Very negative (15) (3) (17) Higher Among Shannon 35 Wind farms have negative impact on future visit 62 Didn t see WF this visit 34 (vs 27 who did) Domestic 30 Overseas 30 No. of Turbines Seen < (2007) 12. Q.2 Firstly, what impact, if any, do you think the following developments have had on the Irish landscape? Statistically significant difference

13 Experiences of those who have seen a wind farm 15.

14 Almost all visitors have seen a wind farm, and three quarters claim there are wind farms in Ireland a higher incidence vs 2007, driven by domestic visitors All ROI Visitors (913) Ever Seen Wind Farm Yes (89) 95 5 No (10) No (20) Don t know (14) 8 Awareness of Wind Farms in ROI Yes (66) Higher Among North America 96 Countryside break 97 Outdoor Activity 96 Midlands East 98 Higher Among ROI 95 Less than week holiday 81 Countryside break 84 Outdoor activity 80 Domestic 92 Overseas 96 Domestic 94 Overseas 70 (2007) 16. Q.3 Have you ever seen a wind farm? Statistically significant difference Q.4 As far as you know are there any wind farms in the Republic of Ireland today?

15 Over half have seen a wind farm on this visit, up on 2007; Most have seen just one or two and from their car All ROI Visitors (913) Base: All who have seen a Wind Farm on this visit (512) NUMBER SEEN One Two (47) (34) Wind Farm seen this visit Three Four (9) (4) 12 7 No (49) Yes (49) Five 6+ Can t Remember () (2) (2) Don t know (1) WHERE SEEN From your car (78) 84 Higher Among Domestic 61 GB yrs 61 Outdoor Activities 59 North West 84 South West 66 South East 61 Countryside break 64 From your accommodation While you were walking/cycling From the beach Other Can t remember (7) (6) (3) (6) () Q.5 Have you seen a wind farm on the Republic of Ireland on this holiday? Q.6 How many different wind farms did you see on this holiday on the island of Ireland? Q.7a Thinking of the last wind farm you saw on the island of Ireland, which of these best describes where you saw this wind farm? Statistically significant difference n(2007) = 357

16 Noise appears not to be an obvious factor for most visitors who have seen a wind farm Base: All who have seen a Wind Farm from accommodation, walking, cycling or beach (41) # Base: All who noticed noise (10) ## Impact of noise on visitor experience No Noise Noticed 75 Very positive Fairly positive No Impact 67 Yes Fairly negative Very negative #Caution: small base ##Caution: very small base 18. Q.7b Q.7c Did you notice any noise from this wind farm? Did this noise have a positive or negative impact on your visitor experience?

17 Location of visitor when saw windfarm; the south/west counties predominate for recall of viewing of wind farms Base: All who have seen a Wind Farm on this visit (512) Kerry 17 Kildare 1 Cork 15 Kilkenny 1 Galway 12 Leitrim 1 Clare Donegal Mayo Wexford Limerick Tipperary Cavan Sligo Meath Offaly Roscommon Waterford Carlow Laois Longford Louth Monaghan Wicklow 3 Westmeath Dublin 1 Don t know Q.7d In what county were you when you saw this windfarm?

18 Wind turbines more likely to be seen at closer proximity in 2012, also in a mountain moorland landscape rather than at the coast; 5-10 turbines seen by greater majority Base: All who have seen a Wind Farm on this visit (512) N (2007) = 357 Position Landscape No. Of Turbines Coastal area (37) 16 <5 turbines (11) 14 On the horizon (64) turbines (52) 45 Mountain moorland (47) 59 Within 1-2 kilometres (26) Within 100 meters (6) Other specify (1) Can t remember (2) Bogland (7) Fertile Farmland (5) Other specify () Can t remember (3) turbines (21) 21+ turbines (7) Other specify () Can t remember (10) Q.7e Q.7f Q.7g Which of these best describes where the wind farm was positioned? which of these best describes the landscape surrounding the wind farm? how many turbines could you see in the wind farm? Statistically significant difference (2007)

19 Impact of wind farm on sightseeing: half say wind farms did not impact enjoyment, but fewer now say they had positive impact and slight increase in negative perceptions Base: All Who Saw a Wind Farm (512) Strong positive impact Slight positive impact (14) (25) (40) Higher Among Female Outdoor activity 37 (no activity) (25) West 42 C2 s 49 City break 40 Domestic 32 Overseas 32 No Impact (45) 48 Slight negative impact Strong negative impact (11) (4) (15) Higher Among No activity 25 Countryside break Domestic 19 Overseas 21 (2007) 21. Q.7h Did the presence of this wind farm have a positive or negative impact on your enjoyment of sightseeing in this area? Statistically significant difference

20 Impact of landscape type and turbine size on attitudes towards wind farms 22.

21 Attitudes towards wind farms on land/coast shift from positive to neutral/negative; resistance greatest for coastal areas and views from accommodation All ROI Visitors (913) N (2007) =699 Strong positive impact Slight positive impact (9) (18) On Land (27) (8) (17) Coastal (25) Accommodation No Impact (47) 43 (45) Slight negative impact Strong negative impact (17) (4) (18) (21) 9 (7) (25) Seen WF Not seen Seen WF Not seen Seen WF Not seen Q.8 In your opinion does the presence of wind farms have a negative or positive impact on your enjoyment of sightseeing on land? Q.9a... your enjoyment of coastal sightseeing? Q.9b How positive or negative would you feel about having a view of a wind farm from your accommodation Statistically significant difference

22 Coastal landscapes continue to be rated as most beautiful, followed by mountain moorland and fertile farmland All ROI Visitors (913) Not beautiful Beautiful# 2007 Coastal Areas (90) Mountain Moorland (80) Fertile Farmland (78) Bogland (34) Urban/Industrial (23) # scores shown: Beautiful=4+5; not beautiful= Statistically significant difference Q.10 Please tell me how scenically beautiful or not, you think each of the following landscapes are, on a scale of 1 to 5, were 5= very beautiful and 1= not at all beautiful.

23 A greater appreciation of the beauty of coastal areas, mountain moorland and fertile farmland is evident, with significant increases in very beautiful scores. All ROI Visitors (913) Very beautiful (5) (4) (3) (2) Not at all Beautiful (1) (63) (27) (7) (1) (1) Coastal Areas (41) (37) 27 (15) 13 (17) (4) 4 (1) 2 (3) (2) 12 (47) (33) Mountain Moorland 83 Fertile Farmland 81 3 (9) (14) (31) (28) (17) Urban/ Industrial (16) (18) (27) (21) (19) Bogland Mean score (4.51) 4.60 (4.21) 4.31 (4.11) 4.31 (2.70) 2.30 (2.91) (2007) Q.10 Please tell me how scenically beautiful or not, you think each of the following landscapes are, on a scale of 1 to 5, were 5= very beautiful and 1= not at all beautiful. Statistically significant difference

24 Wind farms are seen to have an enhancing effect on the landscapes seen as least beautiful in isolation; opinion is polarised re their impact on the perceived more beautiful landscapes, resistance greatest for coastal areas All ROI Visitors (913) 2007 Urban/Industrial (46) Bogland (45) Mountain Moorland (43) Fertile Farmland (41) Coastal Areas (37) 26. scores shown: =4+5; =1+2 Q.11 Now looking at these landscapes with Wind Farms on them. Please tell me how positive or negative an effect the Wind Farm has had on each landscape? Statistically significant difference

25 Wind farms most welcomed for urban and bogland landscapes, with resistance most acutely felt for the more scenically beautiful landscapes All ROI Visitors (913) Very positive Fairly positive (9) (28) Coastal Areas 9 (12) 10 (13) (31) Mountain Moorland 37 Fertile Farmland 27 (28) (18) (28) Urban/ Industrial (17) Bogland 25 (28) Neutral (31) 29 (29) 29 (29) 28 (37) 37 (35) 35 Fairly negative Very negative (23) (9) (21) (21) 14 (9) 12 (9) (11) (6) (13) 16 8 (7) 9 24 Mean score (3.05) 2.86 (3.18) 2.99 (3.16) 2.92 (3.41) 3.29 (3.37) (2007) Q.11 Now looking at these landscapes with Wind Farms on them. Please tell me how positive or negative an effect the Wind Farm has had on each landscape? Statistically significant difference

26 Over half support the construction of wind farms on urban and bogland landscapes, but much greater polarisation of opinion apparent for other landscapes, especially coastal All ROI Visitors (913) Unfavourable Favourable# 2007 Urban/Industrial Bogland Mountain Moorland Fertile Farmland (61) (55) (51) (46) Those who saw a wind farm on this visit are marginally more favourable to wind farm construction on coastal areas (41 vs 38), mountain moorland (47 vs 44) and fertile farmland (42 vs 39) compared to those who did not see a wind farm. Coastal Areas (43) # scores shown: Favourable =4+5; Unfavourable = Q.12 Now looking at these landscapes without and with Wind Farms on them. Can you tell me how favourable or unfavourable you are to the construction of wind farms on each? Statistically significant difference

27 Support for construction of wind farms strongest for urban/industrial landscapes All ROI Visitors (913) Very favourable Fairly favourable Neither Fairly unfavourable Very unfavourable (11) (32) (24) (23) (10) Coastal Areas 11 (16) (16) Favourable 38 Unfavourable (36) (24) (17) (7) Mountain Moorland Favourable 33 Unfavourable (30) (28) (18) (7) Fertile Farmland Favourable 36 Unfavourable (24) (37) (27) (8) (4) Urban/ Industrial Favourable 15 Unfavourable (23) (32) (28) (12) (5) Bogland Favourable 22 Unfavourable Mean score (3.11) 2.95 (3.36) 3.12 (3.29) 2.98 (3.70) 3.58 (3.57) (2007) Q.12 Now looking at these landscapes without and with Wind Farms on them. Can you tell me how favourable or unfavourable you are to the construction of wind farms on each? Statistically significant difference

28 Number of turbines on one site: Fewer seen as preferable. The 25 turbine option generates a negative reaction among 1 in 2; overall, each option receives a more negative vote compared to 2007 All ROI Visitors (913) Very positive Fairly positive (24) (31) 5 Turbines 9 (9) 7 (10) (55) (23) 25 Turbines (34) (31) 2 Clusters of (42) Neutral Fairly negative Very negative (25) (13) (6) (20) (22) (26) (20) (43) (26) (18) (14) (31) Mean score (3.55) 3.12 (2.74) 2.61 (3.05) Q.13a (2007) Now, concentrating just on this mountain moorland landscape. Please tell me how positive or negative an impact you believe each of the different types of Wind Farm has had? Statistically significant difference

29 Given the choice between two different turbine sizes, the large one wins over by a considerable margin, again confirming that fewer is seen as better All ROI Visitors (913) 47 Prefer Large Turbines (59) No Preference (23) (13) Prefer Small Turbines 31. Q.13b (2007) Statistically significant difference Looking at these two wind farms, both of which generate the same amount of electricity, which type of wind farm would be your preference on this landscape?

30 Overall support for continued construction of wind farms 32.

31 Almost 7 in 10 state that wind farms have a positive effect or no impact on their likelihood to visit; just 1 in 4 are averse All ROI Visitors (913) Strong positive impact Slight positive impact Slight negative impact Strong negative impact (8) (23) (14) (6) (31) 24 (21) Higher Among City Break 51 Wind farms have positive impact on sightseeing 48 First time in Ireland 31 West 40 <25 s 35 Domestic 26 Overseas 29 No impact (42) 43 Higher Among Wind farms have negative impact on sightseeing 57 Countryside visit 30 NI 39 DE s 35 Domestic 27 Overseas 23 It depends (5) 5 (2007) 33. Statistically significant difference Q.14 It has been suggested that many more wind farms will be built in Ireland over the next few years. What impact would the presence of further wind farms in this area have on your likelihood of visiting this area again?

32 Support for renewable energy drives positivity towards wind farms, whereas aesthetic reasons are the main detractors for others Base: All who say Wind Farms have positive impact on likelihood to visit (255) Base: All who say Wind Farms have negative impact on likelihood to visit (220) n (2007) =218 Drivers n (2007) =145 I support renewable energy (68) 58 Wind farms are ugly and spoil sightseeing (52) Drivers 45 I like holiday where my carbon foot print is reduced (20) 25 I d prefer another renewable energy source (20) 18 I like looking at wind farms/add to landscape (15) 14 Don t think wind farms are an effective/ efficient form of energy (14) 14 Other (2) 3 Wind farms are noisy (16) Support for renewable energy is higher among males (61) vs females (54), and a lower carbon footprint is priority for those in Mainland Europe (32) and <35 s in particular Q.15a Why do you say that? Q.15b Why do you say that? Wind farms damage wildlife Other (33). The view that wind farms are ugly is felt most acutely among GB visitors (61) and over 55 s (54), but also (13) among those who have NOT seen a WF on this visit (59) rather than among those who have (just 33). (4) Statistically significant difference 5 7 (2007)

33 Strong support for the environment above the economy in line with 2007 results; domestic visitors however are more likely to prioritise the economy, rather than overseas visitors All ROI Visitors (913) The highest priority should be given to protecting the economy even if that damages the environment (4) 3 Higher Among Domestic 4 Overseas 2 Both the environment and economy are important but the economy should come first (29) 30 Higher Among ROI 38 City break 34 Domestic 36 Overseas 28 Both the environment and economy are important but the environment should come first (48) 54 Higher Among North America 60 Female 58 Domestic 47 Overseas 57 The highest priority should be given to protecting the environment even if that damages the economy (16) 13 Higher Among Midlands Domestic 13 Overseas 13 (2007) 35. Q.16 Many environmental issues involve difficult trade offs with the economy. Which one of the following four statements best describes your view re: environmental issues and the economy in Ireland?

34 Summary & Conclusions 36.

35 Summary & Conclusions - I In 2012 there is a greater perception that wind farms have a positive impact on the Irish landscape compared to Wind farms are seen almost on a par with housing in terms of visitor acceptance levels, and well ahead of other developments such as pylons or mobile phone masts which are generally not welcomed by the majority. The increase in support for wind farms has been offset by an increased negative cohort, however, leaving fewer visitors now sitting on the fence with regard to wind farm development. Wind farms may be more of an accepted norm, as indicated by almost all visitors saying they have seen a wind farm at some stage, also growing awareness that wind farms are in Ireland, and over half now claiming to have seen a wind farm on this particular visit. Noise levels, a commonly quoted objection to wind farm development, appear not to be a major issue given that over 8 in 10 visitors saw the wind farm from their car, so noise is an irrelevant factor. The majority of visitors (7 in 10) claim to have seen between 5 and 20 turbines on the wind farm. A word of caution in that there has been a decline in those saying the wind farm had a positive experience on their visit (down from 46 to 32) but attitudes have shifted more into the neutral zone of no impact rather than into the negative cohort. Nonetheless, this leaves a sizeable proportion of 1 in 5 who say the wind farm impeded their enjoyment of sightseeing. Among all visitors, irrespective of whether or not they have seen a wind farm on this visit, there has also been a decline in those saying wind farms have a positive impact on sightseeing be it on land or along the coast. A marginally greater proportion feel wind farms have no impact rather than a negative impact, but the margin is narrow in the case of coastal areas which is perceived as the most precious landscape type in terms of scenic beauty. Given some tentative plans to build wind farms in the vicinity of popular hotels, this survey provides direction on the public vote for the first time and shows this aspect of wind farm development should be approached with caution as almost 4 in 10 believe this would have a negative impact on their holiday experience. 37.

36 Summary & Conclusions II Those who have not seen a wind farm on this visit have more negative opinions regarding the theoretical impact of a farm on their sightseeing visit compared to those who have actually seen one this suggests that there are some negative ideas associated with wind farms that in reality do not materialise for those who have seen wind farms. Interesting to note that once visitors are given an image of a landscape scene with a wind farm depicted on it, they have a more positive view of their construction. This suggests that some negative perceptions may be countered with education, awareness and experience. A rank order clearly emerges in that support for construction of wind farms is greatest for those landscapes which are perceived as relatively less beautiful(i.e. Urban/industrial and bogland). Though opinions are quite polarised, resistance is greatest for construction on coastal areas followed by fertile farmland. Given the scenario where more wind farms are to be built in Ireland in the future, the most widely held view is that this will not impact likelihood to visit the area again, with a slightly greater majority saying that this would have a positive rather than a negative impact. Worth highlighting is that the proportion mentioning a positive impact has declined, in favour of those saying no impact. Support for renewable energy and a reduced carbon footprint are the greatest positive drivers of support, while arguments based on aesthetics drive negativity. However, rejection based on aesthetics is based on a theoretical perception rather than reality as those who actually saw a wind farm on this visit are less likely to object based on aesthetics. In future planning, this research suggests that the optimum solution would be to focus on smaller numbers of turbines (5-10), but also that larger turbines are seen as less intrusive on the landscape once this is off-set by a smaller number of these in one cluster. Coastal areas require more protection, so in-land is clearly more appropriate, while respecting views from accommodation. Generally speaking, those who have seen wind farms on this visit have had a positive experience and in many cases a fear of view distortion is more disconcerting than the reality suggesting that wind farms blend in to the landscape to a certain extent and do not represent a significant blight on the landscape for the majority, rather it is seen in the context of environmental protection. 38.

37 Vox Pops 39.

38 Thank you! For further information, contact Velma Burns 40.