Fintry Development Trust Fintry Development Trust

Fintry Development Trust is based in the village of Fintry, Stirlingshire, in Scotland. It is focused on reducing energy use and carbon emissions in the Fintry area. It was founded in 2007 and has therefore been in existence for over ten years. FDT has almost 250 members now, and membership is open to all who live in the local area and support its aims. Fintry Development Trust has grown out of the original aspirations of Fintry Renewable Energy Enterprise (FREE). FREE was set up in 2003 with the aim of making Fintry a carbon-neutral, sustainable community. With this in mind, FREE looked to engage with a local wind farm that was being planned nearby. “Our ideal proposal was that the revenue from a community-owned wind turbine at the nearby windfarm would enable us to fund our own energy-reduction measures within the village. “This proposal would directly involve most members of the community and increase awareness of energy utilization. We believe that to achieve both local and global benefits of reductions in fossil fuel use and thus lower CO2 emissions, local strategies to reduce energy use through the provision of more efficient heating and insulation are essential. We would look to link these improvements in efficiency to use of energy from renewable sources, either through green energy supply or the use of sustainable fuels such as wood chips, etc. A document produced at the time stated: “Our ideal proposal was that the revenue from a community-owned wind turbine at the nearby windfarm would enable us to fund our own energy-reduction measures within the village. “Ultimately, we believe that this proposal may pave the way for major changes in the use of energy by the public. Such a model would not be confined to communities close by renewable energy developments, but a direct linkage with a local source of energy generation is necessary for emotional resonance and identification with the project”.