Published: Tuesday, 30th December, 2008 10:17am

Wind farm proposal for landfill site

by Jamie MacDonald

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FOUR wind turbines could be placed on a former landfill site at Forthbank in Alloa.

Clackmannanshire Council has given permission to Partnership for Renewables (PfR) to examine the potential implications of the installation of the 80 metre high machines.

PfR"s development director Alan Mathewson told the Advertiser that when up and running, the turbines could generate 2.5 megawatts each – enough green energy to power 5000 households.

He added, 'We"re still at the early stages of this work and we will only submit a planning application if the more detailed environmental and technical work confirms that the site is an appropriate location for wind turbines.

'Our initial feasibility work suggests that the Forthbank site could host up to four commercial wind turbines.'

The study is expected to take over a year, with a full planning application being submitted in 2010 and turbines potentially operational during 2011.

Mr Mathewson continued, 'We want to ensure that the local community is central to the development process and will look to work with the community throughout 2009 to ensure that any application is of the highest quality.'

The cost of developing and constructing the turbines will be met entirely by PfR with a percentage of the profits going to the council.

An amendment put forward at the council meeting by Councillor Craig Holden will mean 10 per cent of income received by the council from the turbine installation will be passed to a local community group.

The group is to be made entirely of residents from the three communities nearest the development – Alloa Park, Mar Policies and Bowhouse Estate – with possibly around £16,000 per annum to be spent in the communities.

Mr Holden said, 'Residents should be included in the consultation as they will be living there.'

The council"s convener for sustainable development, Eddie Carrick, said, 'While the project is still very much at the feasibility stage and subject to formal planning consent, we are excited by its potential to contribute towards reducing the council"s carbon footprint, produce a valuable resource from a redundant site and provide an income to the council with no financial investment or risk.

'This project puts Clackmannanshire at the forefront of meeting renewable energy, sustainability and climate change objectives.

'We envisage that, all going well, the area will be well placed in meeting statutory targets that are undoubtedly to be set for Scottish Local Authorities in the near future.'