Three-quarters of Brits back onshore wind farms

Nearly three-quarters of people would support a wind farm being built near their house, despite the government’s refusal to back the renewable energy source in its strategy. A YouGov poll conducted last week revealed that 73% of people would support the building of a wind farm in their local area, while only 17% would oppose it. When told the development would help the UK achieve net zero, favourables went up to 77%, while less dependence on Russian energy boosted the figure to 81%. If guaranteed cheaper energy bills, 84% said they would support a wind farm. And Conservative voters seem almost as likely to support onshore wind as Labour voters or Liberal Democrats. The poll of 1,826 adults on 4-5 April also found that voters were more sceptical about nuclear power, with 50% opposed to a plant in their area and 34% in favour. However, backing doubled to 61% if it meant less dependence on Russian energy and to 67% if it meant cheaper bills. The Times (£) The Guardian Photo © Anna Jiménez Calaf/Unsplash