An ecohouse is to be built in rural Perthshire provided the owners pay the council more than £6,000.
Monica Griesbaum (41) and Andrew Oldroyd (39) hope to build their sustainable family home at Trinity Gask, near Auchterarder.
Cash from the financial condition will be put towards increasing provision at Madderty Primary School.
Perth and Kinross Council is to approve the plans at a meeting of the development management committee today.
A report by Nick Brian, the council’s Development Quality Manager, states that the seven-acre plot would be a haven for wildlife.
However, the design of the ecohouse has cause controversy in the small community because the plans include a wind turbine.
The council has received 13 objections about the turbine, including one from Methven Community Council, with residents citing its impact on biodiversity, its size and the impact on the landscape.
But the “green” nature of the building, which has been designed by Dundee architect Kirsty Maguire, has prompted Mr Brian to recommend giving the project the go-ahead.
He said: “As a pilot project for eco-friendly living, the proposed development has been conceived to make a positive contribution to the environment and to increase sustainability and biodiversity.
“The proposed house has been designed to have low energy demands and that the energy required can be sourced through renewable sources on the development site in accordance with the goals of sustainability.
“The proposed house has been designed specifically and uniquely for this site and to meet the needs of a modern, growing family, as well as being detailed to achieve very low energy requirements.
“The form of the proposed house is modern and is long and low, reflecting the rolling landscape. The design of the house as an ecohouse is to be an off-grid home, where all services will be sourced and provided on site.
“This is achieved through high quality and high performance building fabric design and construction, which will reduce energy demand and allow all energy demands to be provided on site, with electricity from the wind turbine and wood fuel for the heating.”
He added: “The wind turbine is an integral part of the ecohouse pilot project in providing a sustainable energy source.
“The applicant has stated that the turbine type has been chosen to complement the scale of the surrounding landscape.
“The scale and design of the wind turbine is considered to be acceptable and, at 22.9m to the blade tip, it will not have any adverse visual impact on the landscape.”
The site will be laid out to encourage skylarks and butterflies to populate the area.
“The proposed development has set aside a two-hectare area application site where the applicant intends to carry out environmental work to enhance the local biodiversity.
“This is intended to be done through the repair and enhancement of existing hedgerows, provision of a mixture of un-harvested crops to provide bird feeding, and cover to promote species such as skylark and to provide butterfly enhancement through retention of woodland edges and free wild-growing areas.”
But the recommendations come with a sting in the tail a £6,395 charge to expand the local school.
Mr Brian said: “The application property falls within the catchment area of Madderty Primary School and this school will reach the 80% capacity threshold based on current information.”
That being the case, the education department has recommended that the Primary Education and New Housing Contributions Policy be applied.