Last week, the Citizen reported that Crail Community Council were going ahead with plans to instal a turbine at a site at Kilminning in conjunction with Community Energy Scotland.

They could soon be joined by the community councils in Pittenweem and St Monans who are also interested in the scheme and exploring options for turbines.

In September, David Stutchfield, an energy officer at St Andrews University, addressed St Monans Community Council in a personal capacity and explained how a community-owned wind turbine could benefit the area.

Pittenweem Community Council have also invited a speaker to their next meeting to find out more about the turbines.

Mr Stutchfield believes the turbines could benefit communities across Fife — but only if they want them.

He told the Citizen: "It's for communities to decide if they want the turbines at all.

''If they do, they get to decide where it goes and how high it will be.

"We have phenomenal wind resources here. But it's also a very beautiful area, so turbines will only go ahead if people want it to happen.

"The communities can decide for themselves, and as a resident of East Neuk I am quite happy to go out there and speak to people because I'm excited about the potential."

Mr Stutchfield believes community councils interested in installing turbines could save money by sharing the cost of carrying out feasibility studies.

But he stressed that each project was unique, and the turbines would be owned exclusively by whichever group installed them.

However, he didn't anticipate any problems in relation to turbines being located near the RAF Leuchars airbase.

Dr Jack Jarvis, chair of Crail Community Council, explained that they had a second site earmarked for the turbine if there were any problems with the one proposed for Kilminning.

He added: "There is some common good land we could look at as well.
''There might even be more potential at that site which would allow us to do more than the Kilminning site allows.

"I would be in favour of linking up with other community councils for the feasibility study and other aspects of the development project.

''It makes sense to pool resources where possible."