FERMANAGH TRUST LAUNCHES GROUND-BREAKING RESEARCH INTO COMMUNITY BENEFITS FROM THE ONSHORE WIND INDUSTRY
Jan 27, 2012 - 9:53:01 AM
Other models of community benefit,
such as community ownership, have also not been made available locally.
The report has implications for
government and the onshore, wind industry – with some of the same companies
operating and/or owning wind farms across the UK.
The research findings – the
result of a three-month study which was supported by the Building Change Trust
– found that the higher levels of payments into community funds in Great
Britain have generally not been achieved at approved wind farms in Northern
Ireland.
In Great Britain for example,
amounts reaching and exceeding £2,000/MW, per annum have increasingly been seen.
However, only one of the fourteen community funds in Northern Ireland identified
by The Fermanagh’s Trust’s research was found to offer £2,000/MW per annum – this
was a recent development which occurred during the lifetime of the research
project, offered for a wind farm which has yet to be built.
Throughout the UK average levels
of payments being paid into community funds have been found to be increasing
through time but in Northern Ireland there appears to be a mixed picture.
Whilst some wind farms have seen higher levels of payments in recent years,
substantially low levels of payments of between £500-£1000 MW per annum are
still being made into community funds for recently approved wind farms.
In relation to community
ownership, there are numerous examples of wind farms where developers have
taken very innovative approaches towards the provision of community benefits,
and have incorporated community ownership into the development. In Northern
Ireland, there are no instances of community ownership in a commercial wind
farm development, or similar innovative approaches.
The report launch, which was attended by
approximately 100 people, heard from representatives from frost-free ltd, a Scottish company that helps
communities develop their own wind energy enterprises and helps them benefit
from initiatives already proposed in their area.
Bill Acton from
frost-free said: “It is important to unlock the potential for local communities
to benefit from renewable energy projects. Communities, as well as private
developers, must be incentivised to develop their own renewable energy projects
or to engage with commercial projects in their area. The significance of the
income that can be generated from such ventures has the real potential to
create long term, sustainable income streams that will help many communities in
the current financial climate.”
Graeme Dunwoody, Researcher
with The Fermanagh Trust, said: “There are important recommendations in this
report for government, local communities, local councils and the industry. For
example; communities need
good practice guidance, including a policy on community engagement
and a toolkit on community benefits and a minimum payment should be offered by
developers which is in line with the rest of the UK; and they should explore,
where local communities want it, a form of community ownership.
“Local Councils should formally
establish guidance protocols (based on good practice) which provide a framework
for engagement by developers with the Councils and local communities and
government should develop a public register of community benefits from wind
farm projects similar to that currently being established by the Scottish
Government.
“Government could also actively support local communities and their potential,
positive role in implementing wind farm projects and the contribution they make
in the development of a low carbon society. The implementation of this policy
should address the need for active community involvement in shaping Northern
Ireland’s community energy agenda. Policies ensuring effective support
mechanisms need to be in place, such as a local energy assessment fund.”
The Map on page 12 of the report (Figure 1) is produced with kind permission of Land and Property Services. Publishing Permit No. 120002. 2012.
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