Cairnmore Hill wind farm developers says community benefit package will 'strengthen local area'
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The renewable energy company behind the proposed Cairnmore Hill wind farm has promised that it will deliver a community benefit package that will strengthen the local area if the project gets the go-ahead.
RES has submitted a planning application to Highland Council for its redesigned Cairnmore Hill scheme, consisting of five turbines on a site less than three miles west of Thurso in an area identified by the local authority as having "potential for wind farm development".
The company pledged to work with local community councils, Caithness Chamber of Commerce and Thurso Community Development Trust to support "local needs and priorities".
The proposed turbines will have a maximum tip height of up to 138.5 metres. A previous application for eight turbines at the same site was turned down by the council, while opponents of the project have claimed it would be "a blot on the landscape" that would be seen from many parts of Caithness and Orkney.
However, a local resident who is the closest neighbour to the site says he is fully behind the development and maintains it will provide long-term benefit to the area.
RES says Cairnmore Hill is understood to be the first wind farm in Caithness to include the Thurso Community Council area as a direct beneficiary of its community benefit package.
If consented, it will be capable of generating enough electricity to meet the annual demand of around 24,000 homes.
RES development project manager Euan Hogg said: “There has been a lot of interest at our public exhibitions in the community benefit, including positive feedback about the Thurso area being included as a beneficiary.
"If the project goes ahead we hope to work with both Caithness West and Thurso community councils, as well as Caithness Chamber of Commerce and Thurso Community Development Trust, to ensure that the community benefit package supports local needs and priorities which strengthen the local area.”
In addition, RES says Cairnmore Hill would deliver around £1.4 million of inward investment in the form of jobs, employment and the use of local services as well as some £8.75 million in business rates to Highland Council over the wind farm’s operational lifetime.
Forss resident James Mackay said: “I’m the closest resident to the site and fully support the project. RES have engaged well and their exhibitions have been helpful.
"The project will make good use of the wind here and provide long-term benefit to the Forss and Thurso area – as well as job opportunities and contracts for local businesses. I hope it gets consented.”
Trudy Morris, chief executive of Caithness Chamber of Commerce, said: “One of our roles as a chamber is to help developers understand our local supply chain capabilities and ensure that benefits are maximised locally for both business and community if projects proceed. We welcome the willingness of RES to work with us to gain a better appreciation of what is available in our region.”
Alan Gow, owner of Gow Groundworks at Halkirk, said: “We’ve worked on a number of wind farms across Caithness and have seen how projects like Cairnmore Hill can strengthen the supply chain. In addition to injecting much-needed investment into the county, they play an important part in upskilling the young workforce, so we hope that Cairnmore Hill is successful in planning this time around.”
RES points out that onshore wind, together with large-scale solar, is the cheapest form of electricity generation. "It also increases energy security by reducing reliance on imports and isn’t subject to sudden price fluctuations or the uncertainty of global markets. With the current cost-of-living crisis and climate change emergency, projects like Cairnmore Hill are crucial to help support the transition to a zero-carbon future."
