Published: Thursday, 27th August, 2009 7:00am

Bigger wind farm backed

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PROPOSALS to triple the size of Aikengall wind farm have been given the thumbs up by Dunbar community councillors.

Representatives of Community Windpower Ltd delivered a presentation to community councillors, outlining their proposals for Aikengall II - Wester Dod Community Windfarm.

They want to erect 30, 125-metre-tall wind turbines on a site adjacent to their existing 16-turbine Aikengall Community Windfarm, which opened this year.

Aikengall I, west of Oldhamstocks and almost 10km from Dunbar, was controversially given the green light by councillors in 2007, against the advice of East Lothian planning officers, through the casting vote of Dunbar councillor Norman Hampshire, the then planning committee chairman.

This was despite the local authority's development manager Brian Stalker warning of its "unacceptable impact on the character and appearance of the landscape of the East Lammermuir plateau and the Lammermuir Hills area of great landscape value. . . causing unacceptable visual intrusion".

The extension would also be in close proximity to 77-turbine Crystal Rig wind farm, which straddles the county boundary and is mainly in the Scottish Borders.

Aikengall II would generate up to 108 megawatts (MW) of electricity (compared to a maximum of 48MW at Aikengall) and would displace more than120,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, the equivalent of taking more than 40,700 cars off the road.

Wind farm schemes of over 50MW capacity are determined by Scottish Ministers, not local councils. A decision next spring/summer is likely.

The community benefits of the project, if approved, include £100,000 for every year of the windfarm's operational life to BeGreen Dunbar and another £100,000 to the Cranshaws, Ellemford, Longformacus, Cockburnspath, Abbey St.Bathans, Bonkyl, Preston and East Lammermuir community council areas.

Rob Fryor, projects director for Community Windpower Ltd, told Dunbar Community Council: "We could be looking at all the turbines being up and running in about two and half years' time."

Community councillors agreed that they had no objection to the proposals.

Community councillor Will Collin said: "That they are prepared to invest money in the community is, to me, something that should be welcomed.

"To me that's an admirable objective. I've lived in this area for 65 years and it certainly wouldn't impinge on my vision."

Fellow group member Kilvert Croft added: "Personally I have no objection to it."

Herbert Coutts commented that any suggestions on how to spend the annual £100,000 grant would depend on the reaction from the local community to the extension proposals.