Big article in the Herald today.
A PIONEERING group that has brought together community councils to unlock and share renewables wealth has expressed fury at the fact it has been bypassed by developers, who are choosing to create alternative benefits deals.
The 9CCG (Nine Community Council Group) was first established in 2019, to bring in renewables wealth and share it more democratically across a former coal-mining area of East Ayrshire, and has successfully been doing so for the past three years.
But, it has pointed out, one developer, RWE, chose to deliver funds via a third party and another, Blackwood, signed a memorandum of understanding with a single community council, rather than the 9CCG.
Stephen Mccarron, chief operating officer of the 9CCG, described the Blackwood MOU as “divisive”, since it was, he said, signed “with New Cumnock Community Council to the exclusion of all other communities despite repeated warnings from local communities, local councillors and our MP”.
Emails from Blackwood’s PR, seen by The Herald reveal that the wind farm developer, which is developing a five turbine proposal, had been told that New Cumnock Community Council was planning on leaving the 9CCG and that the decision had been due to discontent as to how funds are allocated.
However, 9CCG has pointed out that the community council had not made a decision to leave. The emails also show that when this was pointed out to Blackwood, the company opted to continue with the MOU.
Anti-wind farm group Scotland Against Spin has described development in the area as “incomparable” to anywhere else in the country. RWE emphasised that it had “followed a comprehensive due diligence process”. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/26442084.divisive-gets-green-energy-windfall-hotspot/
0 Comments