RES gears up for final Hill of Fare Wind Farm events

The scheme, if consented, would be capable of generating clean, low-cost renewable electricity for around 101,000 homes.

The events, which will provide people with an opportunity to review and discuss the updated design with the project team, will return again to Echt, Midmar and Torphins but this time include a Banchory event too, in response to consultation feedback.

Gavin Shirley, Development Project Manager at RES, said: “We received a fantastic turn-out at our previous October 2022 exhibitions, with more than 370 attendees, and the feedback received has helped to refine the updated wind farm design. The feedback has also helped to shape our final exhibition events for which we’ve made a commitment to an event in Banchory.

“We would encourage as many people as possible to visit one of these events if they’re interested in learning about the changes we’ve made to the scheme as well as the positive opportunities and benefits that the proposal could deliver to the area. These include proposals for RES’ unique Local Electricity Discount Scheme (LEDS) which could offer an annual discount to the electricity bills of those properties closest to the wind farm. This appears to be a popular proposal based on feedback from the last events.

“Furthermore, should the project be consented, RES will work with the community to develop a tailored community benefits package to help secure long-term economic, social and environmental benefits for the local area. In line with this, we are inviting further feedback from the community at the June events on the projects, ideas, and local priorities that they would like to see supported by the project.”

Since the previous exhibitions RES has reviewed the consultation feedback from the community and project stakeholders and has made some key changes to the design including the tip heights of turbines being lowered from 250m to a mix of 180m and 200m and turbine numbers reduced from 17 to 16.

The updated 105.6 MW scheme, if consented, would be capable of generating clean, low-cost renewable electricity for around 101,000 homes and creating a reduction in carbon emissions of approximately 107,689 tonnes each year – making an important contribution towards Scotland’s new target of installing 20GW of onshore wind across Scotland by 2030 and meeting net zero carbon emissions by 2045.

Hill of Fare Wind Farm is also predicted to deliver approximately £4.4 million of inward investment into the local area in the form of jobs, employment, and use of local services during construction and the first year of operation – as well as more than £1 million in business rates annually to Aberdeenshire Council.

Details of the exhibition events:

Tuesday, June 20 – Banchory Town Hall from 11am-2pm and Midmar Hall, Inverurie, from 5pm-8pm

Wednesday, June 21 – Learney Hall, Torphins, from 11am-2pm and Echt Hall from 5pm-8pm

Anyone wishing to provide feedback and ideas for local benefits to RES can do so in writing by filling out a ‘comments form’ at the exhibition events or online at www.hilloffare-windfarm.co.uk from Tuesday, June 20 when copies of the exhibition information will be available on the project website for people to view. The closing date for comments is Thursday, July 6.