Three hundred questionnaires were handed out and the returns showed that 78 per cent of respondents were against the plans.

And with less than 20 per cent in favour, the Community Council has now concluded that "based on those in the community that have shown interest or concern by taking the time to reply, the general feeling of the Largoward and District Community is against having a wind farm on the proposed site."

Details of the plan to erect the turbines at South Cassingray first came to light in February this year when the man behind the scheme, Gordon Pay, distributed leaflets in the village and called a public meeting.

The issue of Largoward Windmills has caused much debate and has featured in the letters section of the Citizen over the past five months.

Confirming the results of their survey, a spokesperson for the community council said: "It has become a controversial issue among residents of the village and feelings have run high, particularly amongst those living near to the proposed site who are concerned about possible health effects, noise nuisance and loss of property value.

Mr Pay, however, remains confident the scheme will go ahead despite the findings.

"I had expected more people to be against the proposal at this stage," he said.

"Going forward, I hope we can convince the majority of people, and the majority did not vote against the proposal, of the merits of community co-operative wind turbines."


Read more in this week's St Andrews Citizen.