North Ayrshire is currently losing out on around 80% of contributions from developers of wind farms, according to a council report.

North Ayrshire Council Cabinet has discussed a report from the chief executive on community benefits from wind turbines and other renewable developments. The report looks at guidelines given by the Scottish Government. They recommend that wind farm developers should give £5,000 per MW generated to community projects.

North Ayrshire Council’s report says that of a potential £470,000 per year that it should receive from these payments, it currently receives only about 20% of this.

The report cites the ‘ad hoc’ nature with which contributions are given out for the failure to maximise return for community projects. The current maximum community benefit paid by any wind turbine development in North Ayrshire is £1,570 per MW.

Strategic policy The report states: “The relatively low level of community benefit reflects the fact that there is no corporate strategic policy and developers approach local community groups directly. Inevitably the disparity of negotiating strength between companies and local community groups has been reflected in the relatively low level of community benefits paid, which remains clearly much lower than current Scottish Government guidance.” It adds: “Developers approach local community groups directly to promise money. Inevitably such groups are unaware of the potential sums on offer and have not been able to maximise these in discussions with wind turbine developers.” The council report says that it is difficult for community groups to negotiate with developers. It concludes: “It is evident that the ad hoc manner in which community benefits from wind turbine developments have been paid has resulted in a considerable loss to North Ayrshire.” Proposal for change The council is proposing the establishment of a council-wide fund to control the administration of developers’ contributions to streamline the process. It would also mean that any contributions could be added to by the council or through match funding, as well as saving on administration costs.

The council report proposes that the Directorate of Economy and Communities will produce a policy to set out the level of community benefits which are expected from wind turbines and other developments, and cover the arrangements for how these are delivered. At least £5,000 per MW would be expected, and would be index linked to inflation for the lifetime of the development, as set out in Government guidelines.

North Ayrshire It is acknowledged that while wind turbines benefit the community through donations, the power they generate is vital for the North Ayrshire region.

Kelburn Wind Farm, about 6km south-east of Largs and 3.5km north-east of Farlie, produces enough electricity to meet the average annual demand of around 15,000 households – nearly a quarter of the households in North Ayrshire. Kelburn Wind Farm Trust, chaired by Largs editor Drew Cochrane, has just allocated around £45,000 in grants to 25 local groups. The trust has handed out nearly £130,000 in the past two years.