Community Councils set to benefit from Orkney’s Community Wind Farm Project

Community councils across Orkney could all receive a community benefit payment from Orkney’s Community Wind Farm Project if the project does ahead - after Councillors agreed the basics of a location-specific community benefit scheme at last week’s Policy and Resources Committee meeting.

The proposed Orkney’s Community Wind Farm Project consists of three six-turbine council owned wind farm sites at Quanterness in St Ola, Wee Fea in Hoy and on Faray.
The projects could generate around £6m per annum towards vital local services in Orkney, as well as a £432,000 a year location specific community benefit scheme paid directly to communities. 

Councillors at last week’s P&R meeting (21 June) considered nine different options for a location-specific community benefit scheme for the project – settling on a scheme which would see 20% of the £432,000 fund going to each of the ‘host’ Community Councils (Kirkwall and St Ola; Eday; Graemsay, Hoy and Walls).

The remaining 40% would then be split on a per population basis amongst the other 17 Community Councils, with a de minimis applied to ensure no community council gets less than £5000 a year.

Planning permission for the Quanterness and Hoy projects was granted by the Scottish Government in December 2021, with a decision on Faray expected in the Autumn.  If planning permission is granted – and the Council decides to go ahead with the projects – build out of the project could begin in 2026.

Options for the location-specific community benefit scheme were formed following a public consultation last year and are in line with the Scottish Government’s Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments.

Council Leader James Stockan believes the payments could make a significant difference to communities in Orkney.  He said: “From the outset we have been clear that the intrinsic purpose of Orkney’s Community Wind Farm Project is for us to come together as a community to make the very best use of the tremendous resources we have available to us.

“For decades now, private companies and development trusts have developed wind farms here.  They have undoubtedly brought benefit to our communities through community benefit payments, but the time has come for the Council to step forward now and to take on a developer role, to ensure that all the financial benefit stays here in Orkney.

“The three projects together could generate around £6m a year, which will be used by the local authority to improve life for everyone in Orkney.  On top of that we’ll have these payments which will go directly to the community councils, in order that they can drive forward transformational projects of their own.”

The recommendation of the Policy and Resources Committee will now go to Full Council on 5 July.

The committee report and a recording of the meeting are available here