Cash set to blow in for community from windfarm
Communities surrounding a potential wind farm have re-committed to an agreement relating to the community benefit fund.
Hartwood Wind Farm Working Group, which includes representatives from Hartwood, Allanton, Shotts and Salsburgh, first signed an agreement in November 2015 outlining the distribution and management of the community benefit fund if the wind farm is constructed.
The agreement was re-signed on Thursday, September 15, to include the current officebearers of Shotts Community Council.
Last week the Wishaw Press reported how councillors on the planning committee agreed a planning hearing on the application within six weeks.
Shotts MSP Alex Neil and councillor Tommy Cochrane backed calls for a delay in the decision.
Hartwood Wind Farm are being developed by ABO Wind and is located north of Hartwood and west of Shotts on the lands of Home Farm and Murdostoun Forest.
The working group were established in March 2015 to discuss the community benefit surrounding Hartwood Wind Farm.
Stuart McKay, chairman of the working group and member of Hartwood Action Group said:“We are pleased to re-sign the Community Benefit Fund Agreement having reached an agreement between the four communities.
“We’ve worked on this agreement for over 18 months and believe that it is fair for the communities including the smaller hamlets surrounding Hartwood Wind Farm.
“If the wind farm is constructed, ABO Wind has offered to capitalise some of the fund for larger projects. Some of the communities would like to use their share to contribute to renewable energy projects within the local area.
“This is an exciting opportunity for us to work together to create a legacy for future generations.”
“I’m disappointed to see that planning officials have recommended that the application should be refused by the Planning and Transportation Committee.
“However I understand it is now going to a hearing and welcome the opportunity to address the committee to ensure that my views and the views of those represented in the agreement, supporting Hartwood Wind Farm, are heard.“
The Memorandum of Understanding was re-signed in September 2016, with Shotts Community Council being officially noted as a partner in the Community Benefit Fund. The agreement represents £5000 per megawatt of installed capacity annually to be paid to the communities of Hartwood, Allanton, Shotts and Salsburgh, with a contingency fund for Hareshaw and the HMP Shotts housing of Burns Place and Byron Road.
The Community Benefit Fund Agreement also sets out the percentage agreed to be allocated for each community.
The proposal for Hartwood Wind Farm will be determined by North Lanarkshire Council’s Planning and Transportation Committee.
A date is due to be set in the coming weeks.