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Second community windfarm for Point Power      8/6/11

 

 

 

A new community windfarm is planned for the Pentland Moor near Stornoway.

Planning permission to build six turbines on the Melbost and Branahuie pasture on an apportionment on the Stornoway General Grazings is being lodged today.

The site is called Sidhean Mór and is located off the old Achmore Road, about five miles west of Stornoway.  

The apportionment, partly planted with crofter forestry, was granted to Melbost and Branahuie by the Crofters Commission in 1996.

Though some distance away, villages in Sandwick and Point have traditional grazings and peat cutting rights at the back of Marybank to compensate for the shortage of pasture in their own districts.

Melbost and Branahuie crofters are progressing the scheme under the Point and Sandwick Trust - also known as Point Power - with the planning permission submitted by Sandwick Community Council.

The development would be the second community windfarm on the Pentland moor.  

The proposed Sidhean Mór scheme is close to the nine megawatt Beinn Ghrideag community wind farm - also operated by the Point and Sandwick Trust  - on the Sandwick North St apportionment which is due to commence operation next year.

It will also neighbour the giant windfarm being progressed by Lewis Windpower - a partnership between Amec and French-owned EDF Energy. The Stornoway Trust has opted to support the Amec development rather than establish its own turbines for the community.

The Sidhean Mór turbines will have a maximum tip height of 125 metres and will produce enough power for 13,000 households or the whole population of Lewis.

The six turbines will produce an average annual profit of £2 million a year and are expected to be operating for 25 years. The profit will be invested by Point and Sandwick Trust for community development.

Point and Sandwick Trust is a community-owned charity whose purposes are the social, educational, cultural and environmental development of the people of Point, Sandwick and the Western Isles.

The body has agreed that a minimum of 70% of the income will be invested in projects that benefit the whole of the Western Isles and not just the districts of Point and Sandwick.

It is estimated that the income could create 75 jobs directly and over 200 jobs if it is used to attract European and other match-funding.

Willie MacFarlane, grazings clerk of Melbost and Branahuie Grazings Committee said: "In my view, wind turbines on crofting land should be owned by the whole community and the profits invested locally for the benefit of everyone.

“This land has been used by crofters in the past to graze stock and to plant trees, all of which have benefited the community.

“Using it for community-owned turbines is a natural extension of crofting in the 21st century.

Donald John MacSween, the chair of Point and Sandwick Trust, said: "We are delighted to be working with Melbost and Branahuie Grazings Committee to develop this scheme.

“As well as generating income for the community, we will work to create an attractive area of amenity and recreation close to Stornoway, by making access tracks that walkers and bikers can use and also providing disabled access.

“This project will show that community-owned wind farms can be developed on a commercial scale and give a far higher return to the whole community.

“We have calculated that the Western Isles will earn 20 times more from community-owned turbines than from renting the same land out to a private developer."

"The governing board of the Point and Sandwick Trust is elected by the community and membership is open to all electors living in the Point and Sandwick districts of Lewis.

“Six grazings committees are also represented on the board, along with the two community councils in Point and Sandwick. Applications to join can be sent to us at 26 Lewis St, Stornoway."