By Michael Alexander
A community group has launched a campaign against what could become Fife’s
largest windfarm.
Renewable energy developer Partnerships for Renewables (PfR) has submitted
plans for 11 turbines at Blairadam Forest, near Kelty.
In addition to the existing plans for 5x360ft (110m) wind turbines at
adjacent Outh Muir by Knockhill, the Blairadam application has been
submitted by PfR on behalf of the Forestry Commission Scotland.
The Stop Proliferation Of Turbines (SPOT) Fife chairman Andrew Turner said:
“The site at Blairadam straddles the boundary between Fife and Perth and
Kinross yet the developer has only planned turbines on the Fife side.
“We believe this is because developers see Fife as a soft touch since
turbines have been approved here in the past that would have been refused
by other councils.
“Only two weeks ago Perth and Kinross Council refused a planning
application for two much smaller, 35m turbines in the Cleish Hills, very
near this application at Blairadam Forest, because of the unacceptable
impact on the landscape.
“Recent Fife Council guidance on where wind turbines can be sited clearly
states that this area should remain free of turbines of any number or any
size and we hope this new guidance will ensure the plans are refused.
“The reason developers keep submitting applications for unsuitable areas is
because they make vast profits at the expense of all of us because we
subsidise wind energy through our energy bills.
“PfR stand to make £66 million over 20 years from this windfarm and expect
it to pay for itself in just three years. The more wind turbines that are
built, the higher our energy bills will be to pay for these obscene levels
of subsidy.
“We just have to look around at some of the Carbuncle Award-winning,
planning-approved monstrosities that we have to live with in Fife to know
that it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen corporations ride rough-shod
over the plans put in place by our elected representatives, to the
detriment of our communities. And it appears that we should brace ourselves
to have it done to us again twice.”
John and Catherine Wilson oppose the plan. John said: “We frequently walk
and cycle in Blairadam, it’s dreadful to think this wonderful area could be
industrialised.
“Blairadam is important to so many people; we come here to relax and enjoy
the countryside, not to see and hear giant machines.”
Linda Holt, spokesperson for Scotland Against Spin (SAS), a Fife-based
national alliance campaigning against unsustainable energy policy, said:
“The applicant is happy to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on a
speculative application which flies in the face of Fife Council’s carefully
considered planning advice.
“This shows how weak our local planning system is when it comes to the wind
industry. All big wind developers budget for the almost inevitable appeal
to the Scottish Government, which has a track record of overruling local
planning democracy in favour of its political target of unlimited onshore
wind development.”
Alan Mathewson, PfR regional manager, said: “We have spent considerable
time looking at the forest and have identified a specific area for
development on the west side of Blairadam.
“This 11-turbine proposal will have the capacity to generate over 55GWh of
green electricity per annum enough to power almost 13,000 homes.”
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