February 15, 2013
Scotland

St Andrews windfarm decision to be made outside Fife

By Cheryl Peebles | The Courier | 15 February 2013 | www.thecourier.co.uk

A decision on whether a windfarm can be built a few miles from St Andrews will be taken outwith Fife.

Renewable energy developer West Coast Energy has appealed to the Scottish Government, after the target date for determining its planning application was missed.

It will now be a Government-appointed reporter, rather than kingdom councillors, who decide whether five 328-feet-high turbines can be built at Lingo and South Kinaldy, between Largoward and Dunino.

The windfarm project is the second in the area in the hands of the government, with the St Andrews University having appealed the council’s rejection of its bid to build six turbines up to the same height at Kinaldy Farm, by Boarhills.

Both sites are around three and a half miles from St Andrews, three miles apart. The move by West Coast Energy has enraged a local action group.

David King, chairman of Stop Turbines at Cameron/Kinaldy (STACK), said: “West Coast Energy has had nothing but contempt for local people’s views and for local planning democracy once it became clear that no one wanted their windfarm.

“Its proposal is poorly thought-out, out of scale and in the wrong place.”

West Coast Energy planning and development director Steve Salt said plans were lodged with Fife Council a year ago and added: “Given the uncertainty in the timescales for the determination of the planning application, it was considered that an appeal should be made to Scottish ministers.

“West Coast Energy has made specific legal undertakings to enable the community areas surrounding the windfarm to share in the financial benefits from the generation of local renewable electricity and it is only fair we press on with this project so both the supporters and objectors to this project can have their say at the earliest opportunity.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/02/15/st-andrews-windfarm-decision-to-be-made-outside-fife/