Community Benefit
Wind energy developments can and should provide real benefits to local communities as well as helping to meet national climate change targets. Although the abolition of subsidies creates significant pressures for the development of wind energy schemes, we are committed to seeking to work with local community stakeholders to maximise community support.
Many of our sites are located in former coal producing areas, and in light of the demise of coal production activity, support from wind energy developments is all the more important. We focus on delivering real value and benefit to local communities through:
Community Support
Local Contracting
Sponsorship
Apprenticeships
Trust funds targeted at local priorities
We seek to engage with local communities as early as possible in the development of a project. The basis for the development of a community benefit package will evolve around community feedback. We will work with communities to understand and explore in detail what is possible and how it could be delivered.
Community Support
In line with best practice guidelines, Brockwell provide minimum community support of £5,000 per installed MW per annum to the local communities surrounding our wind developments. Community engagement is actively encouraged to ensure that local funds are allocated by local people. We are open to innovative benefit schemes and are particularly interested in initiatives and investments that seek to create long term economic benefits.
Local Contracting
Local contracting involves prioritising local companies and suppliers wherever this is possible and commercially viable. Our focus on using local suppliers does not just extend through the planning, development and construction phases but also to the 25-year operation and maintenance phases and ultimately through decommissioning and site restoration.
Sponsorship and Scholarships
Sponsoring good causes is key to our community commitments. To find out more on what we have sponsored near our developments, visit the individual Community and News section on each particular project page.
Apprenticeships
Brockwell is open to the opportunities that apprenticeships may offer to local residents and will be happy to facilitate such arrangements where practically possible.
Community Concerns
It is natural for individuals living near a wind energy development to be concerned about possible issues and downsides. These includes issues around noise, landscape and visual impacts, impacts on habitat, and disruption during construction.
The Scottish Government’s online web resource is a useful guide which addresses many matters that are often raised as concerns. This can be accessed at beta.gov.scot/publications/onshore-wind-turbines-planning-advice/