The Stornoway Trust and Lewis Windpower have been holding a series of consultation meetings with crofters on the formal Scheme for Development proposals for the Stornoway Wind Farm.
Some 36 wind turbines will be built on the 130MW scheme on common grazings just to the west of Stornoway.
The landlord, the Stornoway Trust, does not intend to go down the tradition route of resuming the turbine sites but plans to apply for the new process of submitting a formal Scheme for Development to allow the development on crofters’ grazing.
The Scheme for Development proposals have to be approved by the Scottish Land Court, which will consider them later this year.
This process aims to set out any issues around the use of grazing areas and the amount to be paid to those with grazing rights within the boundaries of the planned Stornoway Wind Farm.
Crofters consulted over compensation payments for Stornoway windfarm
22 March 2015
The land court requires a full and precise explanation of what rights affected crofters and grazing shareholders will be giving up.It will consider if the they are offered fair compensation payments and if the windfarm would be unfair to any members of the crofting community.
John Buswell, Project Director for Lewis Wind Power said: “The Scheme for Development is an important process for agreeing payments to the local crofting community in as fair and equitable way as possible.
“The aim of this process is to ensure that the interests of crofters are recognised and dealt with correctly, so they receive fair rental payments from the Stornoway Wind Farm.
“Partnership has been at the heart of our proposals from the outset and we have been really pleased with the contributions we have received at all of the meetings.
“The local community stands to gain a great deal if this application goes through; not only will crofters directly benefit, but there will be community fund payments paid to a trust for the benefit of the local community and the estate, along with the trust having a significant stake in the wind farm itself.”