Plans to more than double the number of turbines on a wind farm site in the Ochil Hills have been unveiled to local communities.
Green developer Wind Prospect is seeking to build up to 22 additional turbines at the Burnfoot Hill Wind Farm, north of Tillicoultry.
Planning consent for 13 turbines standing at 102 metres was granted in 2007. They have been in place since August 2010 and exporting electricity since November.
However, having seen the success of the scheme, Edinburgh-based Wind Prospect now believes there is scope for a significant expansion of the site.
The developer is running two public exhibitions in May to introduce neighbouring communities in Kinross-shire and Clackmannanshire to the potential project and answer any questions they might have.
It has also written to community councils, including Fossoway, about the potential extension to Burnfoot which is unlikely to prove popular, given opposition to the wind farm when it was first mooted.
Wind Prospect’s senior development manager Sarah Dooley said it was considering the various options available to it, in conjunction with both Clackmannanshire and Perth and Kinross Councils.
Ms Dooley revealed that there had been some initial discussions with planning representatives from both local authorities, as well as Scottish Natural Heritage.Scope to expand”Since obtaining planning consent for the 13 102m to tip turbines at Burnfoot Hill back in 2007 it has become apparent that there may be some scope to extend the existing project,” she said.
“The area that we currently believe has potential scope to accommodate additional turbines is relatively sizable, as shown on the attached plan, and could accommodate as many as 22 additional turbines.
“The exact scale of any future proposal is yet to be decided and will be carefully considered following on from a variety of environmental and technical assessments that are currently being carried out.
“In addition we are keen to widely consult local groups, organisations and members of the public so that we can ensure the most suitable site design is proposed within any future planning application.”
Two public exhibitions will be held in the coming weeks at which Wind Prospect staff will be present, along with computer-generated photomontages that will offer an idea of how the potential turbines would look from a variety of locations.
They will take place at the Tillicoultry Community Centre on Tuesday, May 17 between 3.30pm and 7.30pm, and at Blackford Village Hall on Thursday May, 19 between 3pm and 7pm.Residents in Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire are invited to attend. A newsletter will also be delivered to over 5500 residential properties within six kilometres of the proposed development.