Tuesday, November 08, 2011
West Coast Energy is moving forward with its proposal for a
seven turbine wind farm on farmland between Arbroath and Carnoustie
and a planning application will shortly be submitted to Angus
Council. As part of its community engagement process, the
company is keen to form an independent Community Liaison
Forum. Following two scoping meetings with community
representatives in the last two months, the communities surrounding
the proposed site have decided to progress with plans to establish
a Community Liaison Forum.
The aim of the Forum will be to provide a means by which local
people can discuss, suggest and consult with West Coast Energy on
the community benefit funds that would be generated from the
proposed Corse Hill wind farm's community turbine, should the
project be given consent.
To facilitate this Forum, it is important for the community
groups involved to elect an independent chair, whose role would be
to assure the smooth running of a number of meetings over a six
month period after the planning application has been submitted; act
as a point of contact between the communities and West Coast
Energy; facilitate the negotiation of the community turbine funds
between the developer and partnership group, and represent the
group externally.
West Coast Energy has opened nominations for the role of Chair
of the Corse Hill Community Liaison Forum up to the public, and has
invited anyone who is interested, or who knows someone who might
fit the bill, to come forward. The deadline for nominations
is Friday 11th November at 5pm. West Coast Energy will be
working directly with Mai Hearne from Angus Association of
Voluntary Organisations to lead the process of appointing the
chair, but the Liaison Forum itself will have the final say.
Steve Salt, Planning and Development Director of West Coast
Energy said:
"We are really pleased that the communities surrounding the planned
Corse Hill wind farm have decided they would like to proceed with
setting up their own independent Forum, which will allow them to
collectively decide how any potential community benefit resulting
from the wind farm can be put to best use should the wind farm
receive planning consent.
"The role of an independent Chair is very important, as this
person will help guide the group through the coming months, provide
a figure head who can negotiate the best deal for the communities,
and hopefully create a group who can facilitate the community
benefit funds should the wind farm go ahead."
