Gifford Community Council and Garvald and Morham Community Council have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Newlands Hill Wind Energy Hub regarding the use of the Community Benefit funds. The project is committed to £5,000 per MW per annum, or £560,000 per annum, based on current proposed wind farm capacity. Roughly 80% of this will go towards an Electricity Discount Scheme to benefit residents and businesses within 10km of a wind turbine. Those living within 3.5km would receive £800 per year, those within 7.5km would receive £425, and the rest would receive £200. These figures are all index-linked so will rise with inflation. The remaining Community Benefit will be shared equally between Gifford Community Council and Garvald and Morham Community Councils.

The MoU is not an endorsement of Newlands Hill Wind Energy Hub, but it creates a framework under which the community will benefit as much as possible if the project is to receive consent. This is an important milestone as part of Belltown Power’s commitment to ensuring that communities see real benefits from hosting renewable energy projects.