When the Wind Farm is operational, as well as maintaining and managing the turbines for safety and energy production, the on-site team are responsible monitoring the local ecology such as water tables, stream water quality and maintaining the natural plant and animal life around the windfarm. This is covered under what is known as a Section 75 agreement and is managed by our own ecologist in consultation with the RSPB, local councils, Scottish National Heritage and the SEPA (Scottish Environmental Protection Agency).
Community Benefit Fund
There will be a community benefit fund as part of the ongoing commitments to communities in the vicinity of the wind farms. The purpose of the fund will be to enable communities to carry out improvements to their local area in any way, including the local environment, local amenities or tourism.
How it works and the money available.
Each year the wind farm allocates an amount of money to the community council, which administers its disbursement to the community. The total amount of money is based on the installed capacity of the wind farm (the amount of energy in megawatts that the wind farm produces). This fund increases each year by an amount that is index-linked to inflation. The fund is shared in agreed proportions amongst the community councils involved in the project.
Project proposals
Consideration will be given to all types of project which benefit the local community and permission to proceed will be granted for ideas which successfully fulfil the aims of the scheme. Applications will be dealt with on receipt of the application form that is available from your local Community Council. Please ensure that you have the relevant quotations and permissions that are needed for a project to avoid any delay in processing.
For examples of the type of projects that local communities around wind farms have developed please have a look at some of the other operational wind farms on this web site.