By Jonathan Watson
A school, leisure centre and park and ride scheme could all be used to
power public buildings in Fife.
Fife Council has revealed plans for five wind turbines constructed on local
authority-owned sites.
The measures are to be detailed to councillors this week and are being
advertised as a means of dramatically cutting the council’s energy bills.
Inverkeithing High School, Dalgety Bay Leisure Centre, Halbeath Park and
Ride, Cotlands Park in Kennoway and Pitreavie playing fields in Dunfermline
have all been earmarked for the 250ft wind turbines.
It is thought millions of pounds could be saved if the plans go ahead.
Fife Council senior sustainability manager Chris Ewing said: “The wind
power project is just part of the council’s energy strategy which has been
drawn up to help reduce carbon emissions and cut the council’s energy bills.
“The council spent £13 million on energy bills in the last year and
projects like this one have the potential to generate income for the
organisation at a time of financial challenge.
“But careful consideration has to be given to them at every stage of the
process.”
Feasibility studies into the potential development of a number of turbines
that would feed all of their power into the grid are also being carried out.
Seasonal ecological work needed to determine the impact on bird and
wildlife means complete information may not be available for some of these
sites until next spring.
An update on the project is being reported to area committees and members
of the executive committee will be asked on September 9 if planning
applications can be lodged for the five sites listed.
Councillors on that committee will also be asked for permission to start
the procurement process for turbines at two of the council’s landfill
sites, Lower MelvilleWood and Lochhead, which have already gone through a
detailed study and received planning permission. They will also hear about
other sites undergoing detailed feasibility work.
Mr Ewing added: “These five sites were prioritised because they are
feasible and the most commercially viable and we’d like if possible to get
them to planning application stage so we can take advantage of higher
levels of support from the subsidy scheme set up by the Government.
“No final decision has been taken yet and councillors will get the chance
to make a decision on the next stage of proposals at the next executive
committee.
“If councillors approve, planning applications will be lodged for the five
sites and each would then have to go through the detailed planning process
as well as additional community consultation.”
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