Industrial Wind Farm for Kelty, Cowdenbeath, Lumphinnans and Lochgelly

Attending the Lochgelly Community Council meeting, last night (08/02/12), we heard a presentation from Banks Renewables who are seeking to build 6 x 125 metre turbines in close proximity to the Lochore Meadows, Kelty, Cowdenbeath, Lumphinnans and Lochgelly communities.

The developers stated that they are looking at a 3 year period before construction will begin on the turbines if their application is approved. Currently they have submitted a planning application for a 80 metre annenometer mast to test wind speeds.

The developers stated that a planning application number had not yet been given as the application was lodged with Fife Council last week. However, a very active campaign group SPOT Fife checked the Fife Council planning website and discovered the plans and provided us with the application number and a link to the application:

• 12/00174/FULL – http://planning.fife.gov.uk/online/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=LYAMBKHFT8000

SPOT Fife also provided us with an initial application for the 6 turbines, which was submitted by the developers in 2010:

• 10/02404/SCR – http://planning.fife.gov.uk/online/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=L5LW1THF0JM00

The interactive map below is a rough guide to the scoping area for the intended wind farm development (click on the red area for details of the wind farm development) and as yet no turbine locations have been decided. However the developers did admit that the closest turbine to a residential property, will likely be around 500 metres.

View Changing Face of Lochgelly in a larger map

We questioned the developers why they are ignoring the 2km siting guidelines of Fife Council and the Scottish Government, as well as the EU guidelines of 3km, they responded that these were merely a guideline. Yet, in our opinion the guidelines are there for a reason and should be followed, again the developers replied that it is merely a guideline.

Community Councillors and members of the public in attendance raised their concerns, including cumulative impact from all the additional wind farm developments, impact on bird migratory routes, low frequency noise impacts, health issues, detriment and industrialisation of our countryside, including the building of access roads, etc.

The developers ended their presentation stating that a Community Benefit (financial incentive) will be offered to the communities surrounding the wind farm.

Why you should make an Objection

As stated by physicist John Droz

Whether an alternative/renewable is acceptable is a highly technical matter that should be decided on the basis of a comprehensive, independent, objective and transparent evaluation of three key conditions: a) its technical performance, b) the economics of the power produced, and c) its FULL environmental impact.

All independent evidence to date indicates that industrial wind power fails on all three of these critical counts.

With all the turbines created worldwide, there is, as yet, no evidence of any fossil fueled power stations closing. More research is emerging that there is health issues connected to industrial wind turbines, and research is emerging that there is doubt over the CO2 savings, and CO2 levels may be increasing due to the nature of the energy production and balancing required by the national grid, and taking into account the full carbon footprint of the entire manufacturing process of industrial turbines and construction. As more wind farms are developed, your electricity bills will increase due to the direct and indirect subsidies wind farm developers receive, this has also led to an increase in fuel poverty rates.

There is plenty of reasons why objections should be made and we definitly agree that there should be a moratorium on all wind farm developments, which was recently proposed by Councillor Alex Rowley.

If you would like to make an objection online, please visit: http://planning.fife.gov.uk/onlineapplicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=LYAMBKHFT8000

You can also make an objection by writing to:

Development Services,
Forth House,
Abbotshall Rd,
Kirkcaldy, KY1 1RU;

Quoting reference: 12/00174/FULL (You must state your name and address in your objection)

download: Location Plan (649.95KB) added: 09/02/2012 clicks: 98 description: Detailed low resolution map of the scoping area for Hilton Beath Farm.

download: Site Layout Plan (321.72KB) added: 09/02/2012 clicks: 119 description: Low resolution map of the location of the annenometer.

Credits

We would like to thank SPOT Fife for researching and providing us with the application numbers and links to the application online. Anyone interested in becoming involved with Spot Fife, or to find out more, or to attend any of their meetings, should contact:

• Telephone: Andrew or Suzanne on 01383 740 764, or Simon on 01383 725 666
• Mail: c/o Threshyburn Farm, Lochend Toll, Dunfermline, Fife, KY12 0SE
• Online: www.spotfife.blogspot.com

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