Anti-wind farm ad fails on truth and substance14 November 2006
A pro-wind farm alliance in Wales have had their complaints about the materials of a wind farm opposition group upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The Sustainable Energy Alliance (SEA) submitted 6 complaints to the ASA - an independent body which polices advertising codes - about Save Our Scenery (SOS)'s materials which were used to oppose the proposed Gwynt-Y-Mor offshore wind farm.
One complaint concerned a SOS-produced photomontage in a local newspaper of what the wind farm would look like. The ASA considered that "because the turbines appeared too densely spread and too close to the shore, the photograph ... was therefore misleading".
SOS also failed to provide evidence to substantiate all of the claims made in one of their leaflets when requested by the ASA. SEA group coordinator Jonathan Lincoln said "By upholding the complaints against SOS, the ASA have underlined the importance of substantiated, factual information being made available to the public, so that the people are able to make truly informed decisions about important projects such as Gwynt-Y-Mor".
