Melvich wind farm could see locals get £600 energy discount, firm says
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A new planned wind farm development on the north coast is promising to reduce energy bills for local people if its application is approved.
Twelve turbines up to 149.9m tall are proposed for a site on open moorland and common grazings near Melvich.
The company behind the Melvich Wind Energy Hub, which would also include an energy storage facility and associated infrastructure, says feedback showed local people were most concerned about the cost of energy.
Belltown Power UK said the results of public consultations showed that by far the most popular suggested use of community benefit from the scheme was reducing energy bills.
It proposes to use a significant proportion of the fund – which could be worth up to £288,000 a year over the 40-year lifespan of the wind farm – for an Electricity Discount Scheme (EDS).
That could see residents and businesses within 5km being eligible for a £600 discount each year for the operational life of the project, while those between 5km and 10km would be eligible for a £300 discount per year.
But those figures are dependent on the Melvich Wind Energy Hub being consented "in its current proposed form," Belltown added.
Joel Hutchinson, development director at Belltown, said: “We would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to respond to our consultation and to give us their views over the past year. This has been invaluable in helping us shape our final proposals and in understanding local people’s priorities.
“At Belltown, we fundamentally believe that renewable energy projects should benefit the communities that host them and we look forward to continuing our discussions with local people about the benefits that this proposal can deliver, as the application progresses.”
The proposed development would have a capacity of just over 57MW and therefore requires consent from the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit. The application was registered on the ECU website on April 6.
Highland Council will be a statutory consultee.
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On top of the 12 turbines and battery storage facility, the proposals also include up to 220 hectares of peatland restoration, as well as creating new bird nesting sites.
The site would also include a circular 5km "wind farm walk" from the proposed Melvich Village Hub to Cnoc Eipteil and back, including information boards.
The proposal has been lodged following a 12-month long public consultation that included a series of public exhibitions and meetings with community councils and other local community organisations, local businesses and residents.
The Melvich, Portskerra, Achrimscaig, Achridigill and Strondubh Common Grazing Committee have been closely involved in the proposals since the beginning, the company stated.
Belltown have also consulted with all statutory bodies including Highland Council, NatureScot, Historic Environment Scotland and Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.
Following submission, Belltown says it will continue discussions with community councils and other organisations about the community benefit fund, and it also offers a one per cent community ownership scheme.
Construction of the wind farm could begin in 2025, subject to planning approval.
Copies of the non-technical summary and a digital copy of full planning application have been sent to the host community councils, with a full hard copy placed in Strathy Hall available for public viewing.
The submission – and all the associated documents – can be viewed on the Scottish Government's ECU website. People now have until May 19 to make formal representations to the Scottish Government about the proposal.
