Position statement Wind Farms

Transcription

1 Psitin statement Wind Farms Summary f VisitSctland s Psitin Turism is crucial t Sctland s ecnmic and cultural well-being. It generates 4.2bn fr the ecnmy and emplys 200,000 9% f the Scttish wrkfrce. As such, VisitSctland has a key rle in maximising the ecnmic benefit f turism acrss the cuntry and delivering the Scttish Gvernment s gal f sustainable ecnmic grwth. VisitSctland understands and supprts the drive fr renewable energy but recgnises the need t balance this with cncerns fr the ptentially significant impact f wind farm develpments n the turism industry particularly thse prpsals in areas f high scenic value. In cases where it is clear that in VisitSctland s pinin turism will be affected in a negative manner, representatins will be made thrugh the frmal planning prcess. We may als seek a wider turism perspective thrugh, fr example, Area Turism Partnerships (which cmprise a wide crss sectin f lcal private and public sectr turism interests) and cntact the apprpriate bdy t raise any turism cncerns. Ultimately, hwever, we recgnise that it is fr the lcal planning authrity (r in extreme cases referred t the Scttish Executive Minister) t make the final decisin as t whether r nt a develpment prpsal is apprved. This prcess, cntrlled as it is by lcally elected cuncillrs, shuld reflect bth lcal needs and aspiratins and take int accunt thse cncerns f nature cnservatin and turism interests. VisitSctland welcmes the recmmendatins fr planning authrities in the Scttish Gvernment s 2007 research 1, which culd help t minimise any negative effects f wind farms n the turism industry. We wuld als welcme a mre strategic apprach t wind farm develpment and siting, e.g., identifying and categrising areas fr develpment in a way that prtects sensitive areas and cnsiders turism interests. We believe this wuld be a significant imprvement n the current prcess f develpment, which is reactive and piecemeal. Tp Line Scenery and the natural envirnment have becme the mst imprtant factrs fr visitrs when chsing Sctland as a hliday destinatin. VisitSctland s 2007 research shwed that 92% f visitrs cnsidered 1 The Scttish Gvernment, Ecnmic Impact f Wind Farms, published March

2 Scenery the mst imprtant factr in chsing Sctland (72% view scenery as Very Imprtant, with an additinal 20% stating Imprtant ) 2. Turism is ne f Sctland s mst imprtant industries. VisitSctland is cmmitted t grwing turism sustainably and has a vital rle in supprting it t ensure we maximise the ecnmic benefit f the industry acrss the whle cuntry. Previusly, research n wind farms carried ut by an independent cnsultancy was incnclusive and reflected a split in visitr pinin between thse strngly against wind farm develpment f any kind and thse wh said in sme areas it actually enhanced what was therwise a bleak and unattractive landscape. In June 2007, the Scttish Gvernment cmmissined Glasgw Calednian University t assess whether Gvernment pririties fr wind farms in Sctland are likely t have an ecnmic impact either psitive r negative n Scttish turism. The results, published in March 2008, cncluded that wind farm develpments have a minimal impact n turism, prvided they are nt visible frm imprtant turism crridrs, with 97% f thse surveyed saying wind farms wuld have n impact n their decisin t visit Sctland again. The reprt als makes recmmendatins fr planning authrities which culd help minimise any negative impacts f wind farms n the turism industry. Backgrund The Scttish Gvernment's targets are t generate 50 per cent f Sctland's electricity demand frm renewables by In light f the turism industry and the Scttish Gvernment s shared ambitin t grw turism revenues by 50 per cent in the 10 years t 2015, it is vital that the ptential impact f wind farms n turism is accurately assessed, t allw infrmed, apprpriate decisins t be made n their suitability and lcatin. Any prpsal t cnstruct, extend r perate a wind farm with a generatin capacity in excess f 50 Megawatt (MW) requires the cnsent f Scttish Ministers under Sectin 36 f the Electricity Act Prpsals under 50 MW are dealt with by cuncils under planning legislatin. The number and quality f published studies f actual measured effects f wind farms n the envirnment. The evidence that exists frm the UK suggests there is ften strng hstility t develpments at the planning stage n the grunds f the scenic impact and the perceived knck-n effect n turism. Because develpments in the mst sensitive r scenic 2 VisitSctland s Visitr Experience Survey, February

3 lcatins d nt appear t have been given apprval, hwever, it has been difficult t measure actual negative impact n turism There is, hwever, evidence that n balance individuals (turists r therwise) place a higher value n the landscape when a wind farm is nt included in the view than when it is. What is less clear thugh is whether this change in value affects a turist s decisin t visit that lcatin (i.e. whether there is a resultant impact n turism). Over time hstility t wind farms appears t lessen and they becme an accepted even valued part f the scenery, particularly by thse clsest t them. In sme cuntries an established wind farm appears t be able t act as a turist attractin in the same way as a hydr-electric pwer statin. Overall, there des nt appear t be any rbust evidence t suggest a serius negative ecnmic impact f wind farms n turism. In terms f ecnmic impact, the Scttish Gvernment s 2007 research cncludes that: The ptential effect n turism expenditure assciated with meeting the renewables target, via substantial wind farm develpment, will mean that by 2015 there will be 4.7 millin less Grss Value Added in the Scttish ecnmy than there wuld have been in the absence f any wind farms (at 2007 prices). This effect will be ffset r reinfrced by ther ecnmic r envirnmental impacts f wind farms and a part f the adjustment may have already ccurred. The Gvernment reprt als makes recmmendatins fr the planning authrities which culd help t minimise any negative effects f wind farms n the turism industry. It ntes that planning cnsideratin wuld be greatly assisted if the develpers prduced a brief Turist Impact Statement as part f the Envirnmental Impact Analysis, and that planning authrities may wish t cnsider the fllwing factrs t ensure that any adverse lcal impacts n turism are minimised: The number f turists travelling past en rute t elsewhere The views frm accmmdatin in the area The relative scale f turism impact i.e. lcal and natinal The ptential psitives assciated with the develpment The views f turist rganisatins i.e. lcal turist businesses r VisitSctland. Nt all grups have agreed with the Gvernment s findings, which cntrast with ther studies carried ut in the past 2 years by tw f Sctland s leading turism industry bdies. A study carried ut in April 2006 by Wild Sctland, the assciatin f wildlife tur peratrs, shwed that 61% f peratrs in Sctland felt the impact f wind farms n Scttish Turism wuld be negative. A further survey in the same mnth by Activity Sctland, the assciatin f activity hliday peratrs, revealed that 88% f peratrs similarly believed the likely impact t be negative. Wilderness Sctland, envirnmentally-fcused tur peratrs, cnducted a survey amng their clients in July This shwed that 3

4 91% wuld nt return t the Highlands f Sctland if wind farms are develped in a significant way. VisitSctland Psitin VisitSctland understands and supprts the drive fr renewable energy and recgnises the ptential f Sctland s vast resurce. As a cnsequence, VisitSctland is nt against the principle f wind farm develpment. Hwever, wind farms can impact significantly n the landscape and VisitSctland is cncerned ver the prliferatin f speculative develpment prpsals, sme f them in areas f high landscape r scenic value r in lcatins which directly impact n turism peratins r activity. Our lcal area netwrk ffices, lcated thrughut Sctland acrss six regins, are aware f this cncern and are keeping a clse eye n develpment prpsals affecting their lcal areas. VisitSctland is nt a lbbying bdy and we d nt get invlved in pen public debate in the media prir t applicatins being frmally submitted. In cases which may be particularly cntentius, Reginal Directrs have been encuraged t seek a wider turism perspective. Here, they are able t take n bard the views f their Area Turism Partnership (which cmprise a wide crss sectin f lcal private and public sectr turism interests) and then cntact the apprpriate bdy t raise any turism cncerns. Ultimately, it is fr the lcal planning authrity (r in extreme cases referred t the Scttish Executive Minister) t make the final decisin as t whether r nt a develpment prpsal is apprved. This prcess, cntrlled as it is by lcally elected cuncillrs, shuld reflect bth lcal needs and aspiratins and take int accunt thse cncerns f nature cnservatin and turism interests VisitSctland welcmes the fact that the Gvernment s 2007 research makes recmmendatins fr the planning authrities, which culd help t minimise any negative effects f wind farms n the turism industry. We believe that the Scttish Gvernment targets fr bth turism and the renewables industry are nt incmpatible and that, sensitively develped and sited, wind farms shuld nt have a significant negative impact n turism grwth. We wuld als welcme a mre strategic apprach t wind farm develpment and siting, e.g., identifying and categrising areas fr develpment in a way that prtects sensitive areas and cnsiders 4

5 turism interests. We believe this wuld be a significant imprvement n the current prcess f develpment, which is reactive and piecemeal. Additinal infrmatin / links The results f VisitSctland s 2007 Visitr Experience Survey can be fund at: xperience.htm The full findings, bjectives and methdlgy f the Scttish Gvernment s 2007 research can be fund at: 15 August