Caithness common good fund plan
Developers in talks with Chamber of Commerce about spreading windfarm benefits
A common good fund for Caithness is being proposed by the prospective developers of two commercial windfarms in the county.
Those behind the turbine schemes at Baillie Hill, Westfield and Spittal Hill have offered to earmark some of the proceeds of the proposed new community fund.
They say it would be open to other renewable energy developers to contribute to the pot, which could go to Caithness-wide community projects.
Currently companies that operate windfarms have contributed to a fund that benefits residents in the immediate surrounding area.
Brothers Tom and Steven Pottinger are behind the 21-turbine scheme at Baillie and the 30-turbine scheme at Spittal Hill.
Tom Pottinger, who farms at Baillie, Westfield, says it makes sense to extend the community benefits to all of Caithness.
He said: “Experience has shown that local schemes can be quite divisive.
“Rather than one area getting all the benefits, we’re keen to set up a Caithness-wide fund which would be managed locally, at arm’s length from ourselves.
“It would be up to other future developers whether they wanted to feed into it.”
Mr Pottinger said this applies both to other far north windfarm projects and the proposed run of wave and tidal ventures in the Pentland Firth.
He said: “The fund could lever in other money to support community projects.
“We know windfarms do have an effect on the landscape, some of it good and some bad.
“With the benefit scheme we’re proposing, we’d ensure there is some long-lasting benefit for the area.”
While it would be run county-wide, the needs of the immediate area around the turbines would be given priority.
The brothers have had talks about the new fund with the Scottish Community Foundation and Caithness Chamber of Commerce.
The Pottingers, who have set up separate companies to develop each windfarm, are conforming to the industry practice of allocating £2,000 to the community fund each year for each megawattt of power produced.
This would potentially generate over £100,000 from Baillie and £150,000 from Spittal Hill.
The companies would also offer help towards the establishment of small community-run wind turbines of up to five megawatts.
The plans for the Spittal Hill scheme go on public view at the start of December.
The development, backed by Norwegian energy giant Statkraft, is designed to power 45,000 households.
At the exhibition in the Caithness Horizons centre at Thurso on December 2 and 3, archaeologists will outline plans to develop a visitor/ education centre in Spittal.
The developers will meet community representatives on the evening of December 3 when John Priddy, of Community Energy Scotland, will be present.
Planning permission for the Spittal Hall scheme was lodged in April 2007 with the final decision to be taken by the Scottish Ministers.
Baillie was earlier this year the subject of a public local inquiry after the developers appealed against Highland Council’s rejection of the plans. The outcome is awaited.
The Press and Journal
23 November 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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