Contentious windfarm proposals for Angus have spurred residents to form a working group to discuss the matter.
A new organisation for the residents of the rural areas between Arbroath and Carnoustie is holding its first public meeting at 7.30pm on Tuesday.
Panbride Easthaven Arbirlot Community Environments (PEACE) is holding the meeting at Newton Panbride Church Hall, Carnoustie, to give residents a chance to voice their views about the Corse Hill windfarm proposed for the centre of the area and how, if it does go ahead, residents could benefit.
PEACE has not formed an opinion for or against the development, but is anxious that those most affected should have a say and be listened to.
Plans have been submitted for a windfarm which, its backers say, should generate £75,000 for the community in its first year.
West Coast Energy has submitted a planning application and environmental statement to Angus Council for the seven-turbine development at Corse Hill.
The proposal includes a community turbine, the revenue from which will be ploughed into initiatives brought forward by a group of representatives from local organisations.
If approved, the farm will be off the A92 near the Hatton Water Treatment Works and could generate 17.5MW of energy.’Positive feedback’West Coast Energy planning and development director Steve Salt said at the time: ”We are delighted to announce that we have submitted our planning application for the Corse Hill windfarm to Angus Council.
”We are pleased with the positive feedback that we have received and the success of the consultation process.
”We look forward to a continued engagement with the community as the application progresses through the planning system.”
It is expected that between £75,000 and £100,000 could be produced each year for initiatives in Arbroath and Carnoustie rising to between £300,000 and £400,000 when the windfarm is fully paid.
The Arbroath and Carnoustie community councils have been involved in the consultation, as have the Timmergreens Action Group, Association of Residents of Cliffburn and Hayshead, Bruce Road Community Flat and other residents.
Ideas for the community money’s use have been put forward, with suggestions that the Carnoustie Community Centre Action Group could take a share to create a hub on the site of the former Kinloch Primary School. At the Arbroath end it has been mooted that funds could go towards the upgrade of the West Links.
West Coast Energy held public consultations in July and meetings with community councils and other stakeholders. Residents were given the opportunity to learn about the proposals and put forward their views on the scheme.
The liaison forum that decides where the money should go is in the process of selecting an independent chairman, who will steer meetings and talk directly to West Coast Energy.’Meaningful contribution’Corse Hill windfarm is projected to generate enough green electricity to meet the annual domestic consumption of 10,000 homes.
West Coast Energy claims the development would make a ”meaningful contribution” to the Scottish Government’s target for 100% of Scottish electricity to be produced from renewable sources by 2020.
Over its 25-year life, it is estimated that the windfarm could displace in the region of 494,300 tonnes of CO2 that would otherwise have been produced, had fossil fuels like coal or gas been used instead.
At around 126 metres roughly the same height to the vertical blade tip on the two at the Michelin plant at Baldovie in Dundee each turbine would be clearly visible from the road.
Of the £21 million spent on the six-month build, an estimated £4.2 million will go into the local economy through the use of contractors, engineers and area materials.
Although the space being leased for the development is 222 hectares, the windfarm will use 2.2 hectares.