Proposed Solar Farm on land within Over Rankeilour Farm, Cupar

Welcome to our website. This will provide local residents and stakeholders with information regarding the new planning application for a Solar Farm on land within Over Rankeilour Farm, by Cupar. We are keen to ensure that local residents and stakeholders are given the opportunity to express their opinion for this energy project. We hope this provides you all the information you need.

If you require further detail, please do contact our communications consultant Orbit Communications, either through the feedback form below or by getting in touch with the team by emailing us or you can call on 0131 202 3259.

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Key Numbers

29.9MW Renewable energy generated per year

13,000 Homes powered per year

155 Acres of Land

Download the Proposed Plan

Balance Power intends to apply for planning permission for a solar array with a capacity of 29.9MW. Subject to further site assessment work and detailed design, it is likely to comprise the following elements:

• Ground-mounted solar panels

• Transformers, switchgears and inverters

• District Network Operator and Welfare (DNO) room

• New site access from an unnamed road to the south of the site

• Internal access tracks for construction and maintenance purposes

• Area for habitat enhancement

• Security/deer perimeter fencing

• Landscape planting

• Drainage infrastructure

• Security lighting within the compound

• CCTV cameras pointing at perimeter and entrance, and

• Cable route extending to Cupar Substation.

Please note the current proposal may alter before the second consultation event on 16 January and the final Planning Application is submitted.

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The image below shows the red line boundary and location of the project.

What Three Words: chilled.written.daydream

The selected site for the proposed Solar Farm has been specifically chosen by Balance Power because of its proximity to the new Cupar Substation that has sufficient export capacity to accommodate a Solar Farm. The location has been carefully selected, making sure that the site is separated from the town of Cupar.

Other key site considerations were avoiding environmentally sensitive areas (eg. SSSI, SPA), land at high risk of flooding, whilst making sure the site has suitable topography for solar efficiency. The flat agricultural landscape is relatively sparsely settled with occasional farms and cottages, accessed from minor road networks and private tracks.

Balance Power has a grid connection agreement with Scottish Power Distribution for 29.9MW at the new Cupar Substation. This will be connected to the local distribution network, anticipated to be energised in 2026.

Balance Power is a leading energy project developer in the UK, having secured planning approval on more than 452MW of generating capacity, with a further 1.9GW of generating capacity under development.

They have delivered over 34 energy projects and are continuing to develop a portfolio of solar and battery storage assets at strategic locations across the UK.

Balance Power is looking to bring forward the net-zero objectives recognised by the Scottish Government by accelerating the transition to a fully renewable energy mix, through deployment of suitable localised energy generation technologies.

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This public consultation event aims to provide members of the public and interested parties with the opportunity to find out more about the proposed development and to ask questions of the project team. We would be grateful if you could complete the available questionnaire and return it to us.

Give us your feedback

Please note comments to Balance Power (via Orbit Communications) at this stage are not comments to the Planning Authority. Your responses will be considered by the project team as part of the design process. An opportunity to comment on the Planning Application directly to Fife Council will arise when the Planning Application is submitted and live.

To comply with planning legislation, Balance Power will submit a Pre-Application Consultation (PAC) report with the Planning Application detailing what measures they undertook to circulate details about the project, information received in response to feedback and how those comments were considered before the Planning Application was submitted. Your comments will also be addressed in that report.

Once the Planning Application is submitted to Fife Council, there will be a consultation period where members of the public will have an opportunity to formally make comments on the Planning Application.

Comments will be made to Fife Council and will be considered in the determination of the Planning Application. The timescales for submitting public comments will be advertised by Fife Council.

If planning permission is granted, Balance Power expects it would be able to commence development in late 2025/early 2026, subject to complying with any planning conditions.