Last week’s Manx Independent reported that 80% of residents in a government consultation favoured wind power in the island and 76% don’t mind them being somewhere they can see them.

So this week we went to Strand Street to see what the public thought about the consultation and where they’d like to see any wind farm built.

The overwhelming response we got was that people, in contrast to the consultation findings, would favour offshore wind production. If turbines had to be onshore, the Point of Ayre proved popular.

Christine Clucas, 60s, of Union Mills, said she doesn’t mind the look of the wind turbines but she said she would ’rather them be offshore than onshore’.

She added: ’I suppose if they were onshore, somewhere like the Point of Ayre perhaps as they can be a bit noisy but I have no issue with them.’

Melody Crosby, 54, Douglas, said she had no objections to onshore wind farms.

She said: ’I don’t think they’d blot the landscape or spoil the view, other countries all over the world have them so I don’t see the problem. For example they have them in Asia and it’s not a problem.’

Mrs Crosby said she thought the ideal place for a wind farm would be in the north of the island.’

Jamie Murtagh, 45, Douglas, said he wants to see the island move towards greener energy.

He said: ’It would be good for the environment and good for the island. We would have power for ourselves and we could see the excess to the UK.’

But he was concerned about where to place any wind farms.

Mr Murtagh added: ’We’d need to choose a site carefully as the island is a beautiful place so I would prefer them to be offshore than spoil that.’

However, Paul Hutchinson, 64, Ramsey says the figures don’t add up on wind power. I don’t think people realise the cost of wind power.

’When the blades break, which they’re made of metal and fatigue happens, they cost a lot, the cost of maintaining wind farms is expensive which can only drive bills up.

’The island needs something that will genuinely work and has a proven track record of working and being cost effective.’

Neil and Jane Watterson, Foxdale, aged 53 and 49 respectively, said they’d prefer wind power to be generated off-island.

Mr Watterson said: ’The island is a beautiful place without wind power across the landscape but I’m pretty neutral on if it is the right energy source for the island.

’If you look at other countries, they are putting out so many toxins but then Britain is doing all this. It costs a lot of money and other countries just don’t get involved.’

Another section of the consultation suggested the implementation of a levy on people using oil and gas to heat their homes. All of our respondents who were in favour of green energy, objected to this idea.

Mr Clucas said the idea was a ’disgrace’ as people pay enough to heat their homes as it is.

It was a sentiment shared by Mr Murtagh, Mr and Mrs Watterson and Mrs Crosby, who said that as her restaurant uses gas in the kitchen, she was concerned about the impact on her business.