Strathy South wind scheme workshops get under way
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North coast residents could become shareholders in a proposed wind farm scheme in a bid to turn local wish lists into action.
A series of workshops are being held by the Strathy South Community Shared Ownership Working Group to find out how people in the area would feel about acquiring a share in the proposed Strathy South Wind Farm and also the formation of a community development trust.
The first workshop takes place today (Friday) in Bettyhill Public Hall, followed by meetings in Strathy Hall on January 31 and Melvich Hall on February 7. The workshops will run twice each day, from 2.30pm to 5pm and from 6.30pm to 9pm.
The move follows on from consultations commissioned by the Strathy North Community Benefit Fund in 2018 to determine the development priorities desired by the public.
A wide range of hoped-for outcomes arose from this exercise, including improvements to care provision, meeting places, transport, access to education, tourist facilities, enhanced apprenticeship training and the formation of a community development trust.
The working group sees the formation of the trust as crucial to making the best of the substantial opportunities that are arising within the area and as a good route for turning talk into action.
The workshops will be led by the working group's convener Simon Lee.
He said: "The 2018 consultation was an important step towards understanding community needs, but we now have to decide how we actually do something.
"These workshops are not about another wish list – they’re about turning these wishes into meaningful life-changing action."
The working group has applied to the SSE Highland Sustainable Development Fund for funds to kick-start the proposed trust.
