LITTLE Raith Wind Farm operators, Kennedy Renewables, this week hit back at comments made about their extension plans for the facility at Mossmorran. Responding to the claims by James Glen, the secretary of Lochgelly Community Council, and Linda Holt, spokesperson of anti-wind farm campaign group Scotland Against Spin, Jonny Kennedy, Managing Director of Kennedy Renewables, said that the company had always made themselves available to anyone who is interested in the wind farm.

Last week both of them were critical of the size of the application and the way they saw Kennedy trying to attract support from the community.

Jonny Kennedy said on Monday, “I am disappointed that both James Glen and Linda Holt have chosen to attack my company with such intemperate language.

“Kennedy Renewables have regularly made ourselves available to all interested parties since we bought the site in 2010, however, there appears to be a reluctance by Mr Glen and Ms Holt to talk to us directly.

“We held our regular Community Liaison Forum meeting on Wednesday 23rd July which was attended by a broad range of local community stakeholders.

“I offered last year, when we announced the extension project, to go with Mr Glen to meet with any local resident in Lochgelly who may have felt that the amenity of their home was being compromised by our existing Little Raith Wind Farm.

“However, I am yet to be taken up on my offer. That offer remains open to Mr Glen if he wishes to accept it”.

He added, “I believe this would be a far better way to address any concerns that the local community may have and it would allow me to judge for myself any issues that are perceived to be having an impact on the community.

“I am proud of our record in the local area. Little Raith Wind Farm is delivering considerable benefits to the communities of Central Fife through our partnerships with the Four Winds Development Trust, the Cowdenbeath FC Youth Academy and Fife College’s Wind Turbine Technician training programme. Since the operation began in 2012, we have provided the Trust with almost £97,000 of community benefit funding, of which almost £30,000 has been distributed to 28 local community groups across all four communities. We would like to commend the Trust for their efforts to date and we look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure local good causes get the support they deserve”.

He concluded, “Our extension project will allow us to deliver a further £2.5m of community benefit funding to the local area as well as strengthen our partnerships with Cowdenbeath FC and Fife College.

“It will ensure that we can build on the £1.23m in community benefit funding that we have already committed to provide to date, not to mention the £20m we have invested in Fife economy with our existing wind farm. With an extension to Little Raith Wind Farm we can and will do much more for the local community and the wider Fife economy.”