Fife Council wanted to understand how Burntisland, a community in Fife, could reduce its carbon footprint by 80%. Through joint decision making with the local community, it found out which low carbon heat and
electricity solutions would be most suitable, and how much it would cost. The purpose of this project was to help the local community understand their energy needs, and how it could be supplied locally in a low carbon manner.
The Burntisland Community Energy Masterplan was produced and will be used to inform the local planning process and help determine development within Burntisland. It will help to ensure that it is consistent with the community’s priorities and wishes to enable Burntisland to transition to a low carbon, high resilience settlement. It will also act as evidence for funding
applications.
The Burntisland Community Energy Masterplan is a pilot, hopefully the first of many which will cover all of Fife.
The Burntisland Community Energy Masterplan was a collaborative effort between the Burntisland local community, the Burntisland Community Development Trust (BCDT), Resource Efficient Solutions (RES) and Fife Council. The process was supported by technical expertise from Fife Council and external consultancies such as Ramboll (who have provided the technical tools to furnish the evidence base for community decision making). It was a project of three parts; the engagement programme, data analysis, and policy section.
By working with the local community, the project aimed to reduce fuel and mobility poverty and reduce carbon emissions. Through a series of consultation meetings and workshops, the ‘whole energy system’ for Burntisland was mapped. This looked at heat, electricity and transport options, including storage opportunities. The project brought in external expertise to enable the local community to understand their energy needs and how these could be met with low carbon, locally supplied energy.
The masterplan will help determine development in Burntisland and to make sure the priorities of the community are met while enabling Burntisland to become a low carbon, high resilience settlement. You can read the full methodology report, or the Community Energy Plan below.