Contractor speaks out over Kintradwell Wind Farm
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The director of a Brora based civil engineering firm has underlined the importance of the planned Kintradwell Wind Farm for local employment and a greener future.
Liam Mackay, director of Edward Mackay Contractor Ltd, spoke out about the local benefits of the proposal in response to the front page article in last week's Northern Times.
The article featured wind farm group Loth Residents' campaign to raise awareness of the development which, it was claimed, would 'overshadow the village'.
Edward Mackay Contractor employs around 100 local staff from areas such as Brora, Golspie and Helmsdale and has extensive wind farm experience.
The firm has signed a deal with Kintradwell developer RES which gives it first refusal on the civil construction work for the proposed scheme.
Mr Mackay said this commitment to the local area was made “in response to community feedback highlighting local employment as the top priority if the project went ahead".
He said: “The reality of such a commitment reaches far deeper than just a ‘local jobs’ headline. It would mean the majority of our staff could go home to their families each night, rather than working away each week.
“This family-time, as many of our staff will tell you, is priceless, particularly in our fragile community and after what has been a tough and very challenging year from the Covid pandemic.”
He added that, while some people might not like the impact of wind farms on the landscape, they played a crucial role in the journey towards a greener existence while also contributing funding to community projects and supporting local businesses at a time when they have had to close their doors to the public.
Brora Community Council is to hold an open online meeting on Tuesday, April 6, in a bid to gauge the feeling of the community towards the development.
