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Documents > Effets sur le tourisme > Caravan park in North Yorkshire, England

June 23, 2009

Windfarms and tourism

We continually hear from the Wind Turbine Developers at Public Inquiries that there is no evidence to prove that tourism business in the vicinity of wind farms would be affected by a proposed development. We heard this yet again at the conjoined Inquiry into three wind farms proposed for the south west of Berwick upon Tweed, which finished on Monday. As part of our case in opposition to the Applications we found evidence emerging that such statements about lack of evidence are untrue. To give an example:

In 2005 NPower were granted permission to build an 8 turbine wind farm at Knabs Ridge near Harrogate. The Appeal Planning Inspector's report quoted:

89. “There is no good reason to believe that the presence of the wind farm would put off visitors to the area to the extent that the local tourism industry or related businesses would be adversely affected”.

There is a caravan park, High Moor Park Farm, within 430 m. of that wind farm. This park has traded for some 28 years showing an average of less than 5% of vacant pitches annually. In the trade the average figure is 10% of vacant pitches annually. The official opening of Knabs Ridge wind farm was held 11th November, 2008. High Moor Park Farm now has 25% of its pitches vacant yet other parks in the area, which are unaffected by turbines, have maintained their customer levels.

High Moor Park Farm has lost £91,000 in pitch fees since November 2008 as well as the loss of trading on site. Since the construction of the wind farm began about two years ago there has been a loss of £400,000 in caravan sales. All these figures are based on the historical turn-over at this caravan park.

When customers move their static caravans, this is an expensive exercise and not done lightly or without good reason. This park has information to prove that the adverse impact of the turbines is given as the reason for the migration of so many of their customers.

If this figure is replicated in the next six months, they will be looking at a half empty park within a year of the 8 turbines being operational.

John Ferguson (Northumberland)


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