Gone with the wind

Wind farms reduce house prices in postcodes where the turbines are visible, according to research by Steve Gibbons. Households are willing to pay £1,000 a year to avoid a large wind farm visible within 2km. His study notes that wind turbines are generally popular as a source of green energy but they face considerable opposition from the people who have to live near them. He uses local property markets as a way to value the visual impact of 'wind farms' and finds significant negative effects on house prices in postcodes where the turbines are visible.