THE RENEWABLES developer behind plans for Perthshire’s tallest wind turbines will offer local communities the chance to become partners in the project.
Hamilton-based Banks Renewables has asked for permission to erect a wind mast on the Bandirran Estate, south-east of Balbeggie, to help assess whether the area is suitable for development.
Should permission be granted and the findings prove favourable, the company will then push ahead with plans for up to eight wind turbines.
At a suggested height of 135 metres each, they would be the biggest yet constructed in Perth and Kinross and could be visible across the Carse of Gowrie to the western edge of Dundee.
The project could prove controversial with residents, and Banks will also have to take its plans to Perth and Kinross Council, whose elected members have rejected every major wind farm proposal placed before them.
Colin Anderson, development director at Banks Renewables, believes, however, that the benefits this latest development offer may sway residents.
He will take his proposals to communitycouncils in the surrounding area in the coming months, during which time he hopes the wind mast will measure wind speeds and inform background noise monitoring.
Banks Renewables expects to hear in April if the application for the wind mast has been successful.
Mr Anderson said: “The process of developing a windfarm is very demanding and initially involves carrying out many technical and environmental assessments to determine if the site itself is suitable to accommodate the proposed wind turbines.
“The wind monitoring mast confirms both the basic wind resource and allows us to make accurate noise predictions, thereby supporting the sensitive design of the project.
“It also allows us to provide the community with accurate forecasts of energy production from the proposed windfarm.
“If the wind mast confirms our expectations about the wind resource at Bandirran, we wish to work closely with the communities surrounding the site to develop the plans for the windfarm, which could bring a host of social, economic and environmental benefits to the local area.
“We have already had a number of meetings with community groups in the area and, whilst we are still at the very early stages of the project, we intend to continue to develop these relationships and ensure the communities are kept fully informed.
“Ideally, however, we would like active community participation in the project’s development, as our experience has shown this results in better outcomes for all concerned.
“To this end, we are proposing to the local community councils that a partnership approach is adopted to take the project forward.”
If this approach is adopted, it would result in the communities having a stake in the windfarm, with the additional option to increase their stake by way of a community purchase following commissioning of the windfarm.
Mr Anderson believes this will then enable communities to plan long-term improvements in their villages and towns, with the certainty of long-term revenue funding to deliver these.
He is also confident that there is local interest in the partnership idea.
“People will, of course, want to see the detail,” he said.
“We’ve therefore agreed to get this to them as soon as we can and, hopefully, this will pave the way for a meaningful discussion and an agreement on how best to move the project forward.”
Banks Renewables is part of the Banks Group, which was founded in 1976.
It now employs 400 people in the renewable energy, property and mining sectors.
mmackay@thecourier.co.uk