Wind farms 'don't hit prices'

There is no clear relationship between the proximity of a wind farm to a property and its price says the latest research from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The report was written for RICS by Peter Dent and Dr Sally Sims from Oxford Brookes University which finds that houses immediately beside wind farms do have lower prices than those further than a mile from the site. 'While homes within one mile of a wind farm were lower in value, no clear relationship between distance to the wind farm and price was observed in the research,' said RICS spokesman Brian Berry. This report contradicts earlier research carried out by the body in an effort to determine exactly how wind farms affect the property market in their area. 'If anything, this research shows that trying to assess the impact of wind farms on property values is a complex and emotive subject. Apparent changes in value disappear when examined closely and objections raised are often found to be less about local concerns and more about wider ideological issues,' posited Mr Berry.