Rivox Wind Energy Hub application lodged
We're very pleased to confirm submission of our planning application to the Scottish Government for the Rivox Wind Energy Hub.
We would like to thank everyone who contributed to shaping our proposals by providing feedback and attending our public consultations. A physical copy of the planning application is available at Moffat Town Hall offices.
The full planning application and all the associated documents can also be viewed online, on this website (see Project Proposal section) and on Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit website (www.energyconsents.scot) reference ECU00003293 where representations can also be submitted up to 28 August 2023.
Belltown
- are continuing to work with Forestry and Land Scotland on ideas for habitat enhancement and with Dumfries & Galloway Council’s Ranger Service; they have committed funding in principle to support the long term plans for developing walking routes.
- will provide the local community with £5,000 per MW installed per year (index linked) of Community Benefit for the lifetime of the project. Based on the current proposal, this has the potential to generate approximately £1,044,000 a year for local communities for the 40-year lifetime of the project.
Energy bills were identified as a key concern by local residents and public consultations showed that by far the most popular suggested use of Community Benefit was reducing energy bills.In response, Belltown have offered to use a proportion of the Community Benefit fund for an Electricity Discount Scheme (EDS), following feedback from local people. If Rivox Wind Energy Hub was consented in its current proposed form, residents and businesses in the vicinity of the project would be eligible for significant discounts off their bills, each year for the lifetime of the project. These proposals will be the subject of further discussion with local people in due course.
Belltown also offers a ground-breaking Community Ownership scheme that can bring tangible benefits via the revenue generated by owning a stake in a renewable energy project. The developer offers all the communities where it builds wind energy hubs 1% of the project ownership for free with a further 4% stake being available to purchase at cost once the project is operational. As the project progresses, they will continue to engage the local community to establish how the community can best benefit from this opportunity.
Peter Thomas added; “At Belltown, we fundamentally believe that renewable energy projects should benefit the communities that host them and we look forward to continuing our discussions with local people about the benefits that this proposal can deliver, as the application progresses.”
Following submission, Belltown will continue discussions with community councils and other organisations about the community benefit fund and shared ownership.
Should the proposal be consented, Belltown could start construction in late 2025; the company offers a procurement policy that favours local contractors to ensure they and local suppliers benefit from the project.
As a Section 36 project, the application will eventually be determined by Scottish Government Ministers with Dumfries and Galloway Council as a key consultee.