A PLANNER looked out of a window before giving their backing for a wind turbine in the hills north of Saline.

And the room with a view helped convince councillors on the west planning committee to approve an application from Carly Penderis for her home at North Cults.

It's on the western border of Fife and she now has permission, despite objections, for a 20-metre high turbine on grassland near her property.

A Fife Council report said: "An officer's site visit to the livingroom of the residential property at South Cults confirms that, although the turbine is likely to be visible, it is not considered to become a dominant feature of the view from the property.

"It is not considered that the existing trees would provide total screening; nevertheless, there is sufficient landscape features within the view from South Cults which would screen views to the turbine and, more importantly, would prevent the turbine from dominating the view from this room."

The site is in the Cleish Hills Local Landscape Area and the proposal was met with eight objections.

Some felt the wind turbine would spoil views of the countryside and other concerns included the impact on tourism, the landscape, neighbouring properties, road safety and residential amenity.

The council report said: "The objection to wind turbines in general, and concerns around the proximity to residential properties and impacts on the qualities of the local area, are understood.

"However, there is no specific information provided by the objectors which would suggest that the proposal does not accord with the development plan and other guidance in relation to the assessment of the merits of small-scale wind turbines."

Ms Penderis said the average wind speed at the site, on Cult Hill, was 6.2 metres per second which would help provide green energy for her home.

The report added: "This potential would be sufficient to generate around 48,000 kWh of electricity a year for use at North Cults.

"The applicant considers this development could contribute to a reduction of some 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum."

Connection from the 15kw turbine to the grid would be via an underground cable connecting with the house at North Cults.