Closeburn turbine cash queries

Jun 24 2009 by Jackie Grant, Dumfries Standard Wednesday

RESIDENTS of a small community surrounded by windfarms claim they get a raw deal for having to live with turbines blighting the landscape.

They are angry that the company behind the latest development will rake in millions of pounds while the community gets virtually nothing in return.

Spanish wind farm company Acciona Energy — which had a turnover of 851 million Euros in the 2006 financial year — is planning a 20-turbine development above Closeburn in Auchencairn Forest and has already submitted a Proposal of Application Notice to Dumfries and Galloway Council.

Residents in Closeburn intend to fight the windfarm proposals and questioned the amount of cash the community is set to receive if the scheme gets the go-ahead.

But a spokesman for Acciona said this week it is too early to discuss “specific figures regarding a benefit fund”.

Mike Steele, Chairman of Closeburn Community Council, said: “There are already over 340 turbines planned within 35kms of Closeburn with another 230 in the planning pipeline. We cannot see how Nithsdale can cope with more turbines with local windfarms at Dalswinton and Moniaive and a 71 turbine windfarm coming into Ae Forest shortly.”

He added: “Dalswinton windfarm earns the developers about £10 million a year and the landowner will also do very well, but nine local community councils only get £3,000 each.

“Communities further north receive higher amounts of community payments despite Dumfries and Galloway having 70 per cent of the national supply of windfarms.”

Dumfries and Galloway Council created a set of guidelines to ensure that local communities benefit from the many windfarm developments in the region.

The vast majority of windfarms granted planning consent since July 2006 are anticipated to comply with the council protocol although it is non statutory.

Communities within 15kms of the wind farm boundary receive an equal share of 60 per cent of the annual total benefit paid. All other communities are able to bid for money specifically for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects from a region-wide central fund formed from 40 per cent of the annual total benefit from all participating windfarms.

The exact level of funding is based on the size of the windfarm. The protocol sets out a benchmark minimum annual payment of £2,000 per MW (installed capacity) to be agreed with developers. Sixty per cent of the total is then divided between the communities within 15Km.

The Acciona spokesman added: “We are committed to ensuring that communities located near to the proposed Auchencairn wind farm development benefit directly from the project if a planning application is successful.

“We also welcome suggestions from people living in the area on the kind of community benefit they would like to see if the development is approved.”