Minutes of the meeting held on Monday 1 December 08 at 7.30 pm, Boarhills Village Hall

B Simpson welcomed John Maguire (Director of Estates), Dr Roddy Yarr (Environment and Energy Manager) from the University of St Andrews, and Councillor Donald Macgregor to the meeting. Approximately 60 people attended.

The University wind farm proposal was the sole topic of the meeting.

The background to the proposal was described, in particular the rising energy bill of the University, which had increased to £5.9 M for the current year, despite efforts to improve energy conservation. The University were interested in involving the Community (Boarhills, Dunino and Kingsbarns, where a similar meeting had recently been held) at an early stage in the project. However, it was generally agreed that the report produced by The Carbon Trust, looking at various renewable  options, had caused some confusion. This was a scoping exercise looking at possibilities rather than a definitive plan for the development. It did identify the University farms of Upper and Lower Kenly as a resource for power generation.

The University was unable to build wind farms elsewhere in the country, and technology to harness wave and tidal power was not sufficiently advanced.

 

The University are yet to talk in any detail with the Council. It was stated that Fife Council’s “Wind Energy: Supplementary Planning Guidance” (April 2008) is guidance, and each case will be judged on its merits at the planning stage. However, it did mean that any development would be located on Upper rather than Lower Kenly, as being further from settlements.

 

Because this was a development by the University rather than an energy company, it was stated that it is more likely to go ahead at more marginal rates of return on the capital invested, since shareholders do not have to be satisfied, but that this also meant that a more modest scheme might also be viable.

 

The University is starting to survey bird life in the area, and the next step is likely to be monitoring wind speeds by installing a suitable sized mast in order to help establish heights, placing and numbers of turbines.

 

The Community Council would endeavour to keep people informed, and those interested are encouraged to supply their e mail address to the Secretary. Notices would also be put up on the notice board, and on the Community Council web site.

 

The following points were also raised:
- Setting and landscape issues are important. A development which damaged the setting of St Andrews would be viewed as detrimental.
- Height of the turbines is crucial, and means by which this could be assessed for example by use of barrage balloons, should be given consideration.
- RAF Leuchars have not been consulted yet, but it was observed that it is not the height of the turbines per se which is the determining factor from the MOD's perspective, but visibility on radar screens.
- What weight would be given to local opinion by the University before considering whether this development would be pursued or not?
- The question of efficiency of wind turbines was raised. - Financial transparency of the investment and its return, including any community benefits would be requested. Noise may be an issue.
- It was suggested that the Community Council could form the basis of any liaison group, which would be required to take the proposals further. A web forum was suggested as a means by which people could exchange views on the project.
- A reduction in the University's carbon footprint was a benefit to the whole of Society.

 

Many other points have been submitted prior to the meeting, and all of these have been passed on to the University. There will be plenty of opportunity to address them in the months to come.

It was agreed that although the Community welcomed consultation at an early stage, we looked forward to receiving more detail on the proposals, as at present there was too little information on which to comment constructively.