Residents urged to give feedback on all aspects of wind farm proposal

Renewable energy company Low Carbon has had a scoping application in with the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit for the High Brenfield site since 2023 and now says it will be submitting a planning application in the second quarter of this year.

Low Carbon announced at the end of last week that it had reached a ‘design freeze milestone’ following two public consultations in Ardrishaig and Lochgilphead where it was felt some of the proposed turbines were too close to residential properties and concerns were raised regarding ‘shadow flicker’ from the blades.

Eighty-eight people attended the exhibitions, with 60 feedback forms received.

As a result of this and further feedback from statutory consultees, Low Carbon has decided to remove four more turbines which were close to homes, reducing the number of properties within a 2km (1.2miles) radius from 479 to nine.

This brings the number of turbines proposed, which had been reduced from ‘up to’ 17 to 14 before the second public consultation, to 10 at a height of 200 metres, with a maximum generating capacity of 66MW. A battery energy storage system (BESS) will not feature as part of the planning application.

Ardrishaig Community Council (CC) met with Low Carbon last week to hear the details of the changes, and to discuss the proposed community benefit fund and community ownership.

A spokesperson for the community council said, following the meeting: “Now that the design is about to be finalised we’d really like to know what all Ardrishaig and Inverneill residents think. So far, we’ve heard from a significant number of those strongly in favour or against, but we haven’t heard from the silent majority. 

“Do you support it but with concerns about certain aspects of the design? Do you oppose it but still want to have input on community benefit /community ownership aspects? Our job is to represent your views, whether positive or negative, but we can only do so successfully if we know what these are.”

The community council intends to carry out a short survey prior to the final planning application submission.

Although the application has yet to be submitted, Low Carbon has appointed Foundation Scotland to administer any community benefit fund – at £5,000 per year per MW of capacity for the 40-year life-time of the wind farm – potentially £330,000 per year.

Over the last year Low Carbon has discussed the community benefit, which has been used elsewhere as a way of encouraging communities to view such developments favourably, to various organisations and communities across Mid Argyll, not just in Ardrishaig and Inverneill, which would be the greatest impacted by the wind farm.

This week Foundation Scotland has been carrying out workshops in Lochgilphead, Ardrishaig and Inveneill asking for ideas on what the funds could be used for, what kinds of projects /causes residents might want to see benefit and information about what has worked elsewhere.

“Initially Foundation Scotland was pushing to have the community benefit arrangements wrapped up by April, so that it would be settled by the time Low Carbon submitted its planning application, and enable Low Carbon to point to local support and agreement,” said the Ardrishaig CC spokesperson.

“We recognise the usefulness of discussion around community benefit, but don’t believe that it is helpful or fair to residents to require that the community benefit arrangements should be rushed, given how long residents will be living with the outcome of those discussions. 

“As a result, at our meeting with Low Carbon last week, we pushed back forcefully against a rushed timeline and stressed that, given that it will be at least eight years until the project is built, if it gets planning consent, there is time to do a broad and careful consultation of residents’ views and wishes for community benefit allocation. 

“Low Carbon has now confirmed in writing to us that it will make sure that the process is not rushed; that there is no April deadline.”

Without implying support for the wind farm, the community council has also participated in discussions about community ownership in High Brenfield alongside neighbouring communities in Mid Argyll. 

“If the community council was not represented in these discussions at this stage, it would risk missing out on the ability to have input or participate if planning permission is granted,” explained the spokesperson.

“So far, we understand that up to 10 per cent of the proposed development is available for shared ownership. 
“We want to know what residents think about this and whether they’d support a community investment in the project, if successful. 

“We’d also like to know whether residents would support an investment by Ardrishaig Community Trust or would prefer a new investment vehicle structured differently for any High Brenfield investment.”