Planning software submitted for South Lanarkshire wind farm that would assist native households save tens of millions on power payments

A PLANNING software for a serious South Lanarkshire wind farm that would assist households save tens of millions annually on their power payments, has been submitted to the council for assessment.

Planning officers are anticipated to contemplate proposals by Banks Renewables to develop the 37-turbine Bodinglee Wind Farm and battery storage improvement close to Douglas.

If authorised, Bodinglee can be among the many strongest and most effective onshore wind farms within the UK and would offer greater than 200,000 households with inexperienced electrical energy yearly.

It may additionally displace the equal of round 70,000 petrol vehicles’ annual CO2 emissions from the UK’s electrical energy provide grid.

Over the 40-year lifespan of the proposed wind farm, Banks Renewables forecast a blended neighborhood advantages bundle of an estimated £53m would meaningfully enhance the lives of native folks by serving to them to avoid wasting an estimated £2.5-4.5 million annually on their power payments.

Robin Winstanley, sustainability and exterior affairs supervisor at Banks Renewables, stated: “We consider we’ve offered a really sturdy case for approving this scheme, which might ship important environmental, social and financial advantages to native communities in South Lanarkshire that will assist deal with local weather change and drive down power payments for native households.

“The blended advantages bundle which might consequence from Bodinglee Wind Farm is progressive in its method.

“Trying past the standard mannequin of issuing grants from a central pot, searching for to reshape how a simply power transition may instantly profit native households and the broader neighborhood.”

The creation of a community-owned organisation – Clydesdale Neighborhood Vitality Transition Firm (CCETco) – would assist 1000’s of households to avoid wasting tens of millions on their power payments.

It will do that by enhancing the thermal effectivity of houses within the space and changing ageing, fossil fuelled heating methods.

Banks Renewables commissioned a examine by unbiased consultants Pure Energy that has proven that funding these cash saving measures may lead to between £2-4.4m in annual financial savings on power payments for six,500 native households.

All of those households are in an space recognized as being particularly uncovered to rising power prices attributable to a higher-than-average proportion of older, power inefficient properties. 

Along with the creation of CCETco, Banks Renewables has provided to reward a 1% stake within the wind farm to the neighborhood.

An extra 9% can be out there to buy at market charge if desired, which might enhance the neighborhood funding factor above the £53m determine.

Robin Winstanley added: “Our imaginative and prescient for the location isn’t just to create a wind farm, however for Bodinglee to ship sustainable, constructive and transformative change for South Lanarkshire.

“Since we commenced improvement of the challenge in 2021 we’ve been assembly with and listening to native communities, companies, and all kinds of individuals domestically, and we hope we’ve exceeded their expectation of what Bodinglee Wind Farm can contribute to South Lanarkshire and we hope that individuals domestically will assist our software to construct what can be a nationally important inexperienced power improvement on the UK and Scotland’s journey to web zero.”