Experiencing Wind Farms In The Landscape
People’s responses to wind farms vary –to some a wind farm may seem to dominate its surroundings, while others may view it as an exciting, modern addition with symbolic associations with clean energy and sustainability. Our understanding of people’s responses to wind farm development is informed by a number of public attitude studies. UK-wide research has shown that two thirds of adults are in favour of wind power.
The impact of a wind farm will depend on how,and from where,it is experienced; for example, from inside a residence, while moving along a road, or from a remote mountaintop. These factors are taken into account through LVIA when determining the sensitivity of the landscape and visual resource, and the people that will be affected by the development (receptors). LVIA includes assessment of impacts upon the key users of the landscape, including residents, motorists, workers,those partaking in recreation and tourists.
A wind farm’s impacts on local residents requires particular attention as, unlike visitors, they will experience a wind farm from different locations, at different times of the day, usually for longer periods of time, and in different seasons. Conversely, impacts on tourists and those taking part in recreation may be relatively brief, but their sensitivity to landscape change is regarded as high because their purpose is often to enjoy their surroundings.
It is important to take account of how a wind farm will be experienced from surrounding roads, transport, and recreational routes. Views will vary depending on proximity to the road, the mode of transport, the angle of view, and intervening landscape features. The first glimpse of a wind farm
is important, and careful consideration should be given to the design of the wind farm layout in relation to these views.
As larger numbers of wind farms are built it has become increasingly important to consider their cumulative effects and the context in which they are seen. Of particular importance are: how developments relate to each other in design and relationship to their settings; their frequency as one moves through the landscape; and their visual separation to allow experience of the character of the landscape in-between. Further detail on this aspect of LVIA can be found inour‘Cumulative Effect of Wind Farms’guidance.
The visibility and visual impacts of a wind farmare affected by the distance from which it is viewed, as well as other aspects such as weather conditions,siting and its context. In the past, several guidance notes offered generic categories of degrees of visibility and visual impact related to distance. This is no longer considered helpful as there is now such variation in turbine size and design. Wind turbines of between 100 –150m can be visible at distances of up to 40 or 50km in some conditions; whilst single turbines of up to 50m are only visible at smaller distances. The LVIA needs to assess the likely visibility of an individual application in detail.
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