UK: Navitus Bay Could Affect Tourism

Navitus Bay offshore wind farm has faced another instance of opposition.

Bournemouth Borough Council thinks that the wind farm would negatively affect tourism in this area because, as they claim, the tourists would not want to come to the Dorset coast, writes BBC.

Navitus Bay plans to build up to 218 wind turbines 20 kilometers off the Dorset and Hampshire’s coast. The wind turbines would be up to 200 meters high.

“For 14% of visitors, for one in seven, they state that the presence of the project would spoil the views and prevent them from returning,” said Bournemouth Borough Councillor Mike Greene.

Responding to this, Navitus Bay project director Mike Unsworth claims that after two years of surveys he can conclude that the wind farm would have no impact on the tourism.

“Eighty-six per cent of the visitors surveyed don’t believe the wind farm would have any impact on them visiting the area, and of the tourist businesses we surveyed 92% were very positive and encouraging about their future which is fantastic for the area and 72% of those businesses didn’t think that the wind farm would have any impact.”

[mappress]

Offshore WIND staff, September 9, 2013; Image: navitusbay